Love Heals All Wounds
by Thebloodlinereigns
Summary: Roman laid in bed next to his gorgeous wife, Draya, wondering how he could get so lucky to have his best friend and soul mate wrapped up in one. Someone so strong and patient to take on raising their children, practically alone, every day. A beautiful wife and mother that trusted in him when he had nothing to offer her at the moment but had enough faith in him to see the potential
1. Isn’t She Lovely

Roman gathered his luggage from the trunk of the SUV that he had rented with his cousins, Jey and Jimmy. It was the best of both worlds, traveling to see the world one wrestling show at a time while hanging out with his family.

"Say, man, Y'all need to get to wake up! We're here now, I'm not carrying yall heavy ass luggage into the arena. I will leave Y'all and this stuff in this hot ass SUV!" Roman said as he finished gathering his things. He hadn't realized that Jey and Jimmy were still in the SUV sleeping until he took off his headphones and heard the snoring from the backseat. Roman slammed the door shut once he didn't hear a response from the sleeping beauties. The two jolted awake upon hearing the door make an impact with the door jam.

"YO, WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Jimmy snapped at Roman as he wiped his red eyes, his face showed the evidence of how well rested he now was. The imprints on his face from the neck pillow still fresh.

Jey woke up and replied, "Yeah uce, you could have just told us, man. All the other stuff ain't necessary man."

Roman snickered to himself, "Well, I did and Y'all ain't move so I had to do what I had to do to avoid going to jail cause Y'all dead from heat stroke. Now come on let's go! We have a show to do." The twins begrudgingly got out the SUV mumbling to themselves about Roman's rude antics.

"We wouldn't have done you like that!" Jimmy replied as the trio collectively stopped before bursting out in laughter.

"Yall know damn well that's a lie!" Roman managed to say between laughs. "Aight, aight! You right uce." Jimmy replied after getting his belly full of laughs.

The twins came around to the back after stretching out their limbs after the long car ride. "Say, Roman, have you seen that new trainer? She started a few weeks ago. Man, shorty is killing the game! She's like this tall and her body is out of sight! What Bruno say in that song 37-27-42, she could definitely squeeze all of that in my coupe! You feel me!" Jimmy said as he laughed while rubbing his hands together.

Jey replied, "You had to say all that just to say she fine? You just nasty!" he said as he shook his head at his brother.

"Man, whatever! She dope though with long flowing curly hair, cute little accent with the most beautiful eyes. Now you know I'm with Naomi and everything but if I c-... Dog! L-look, look her she come. She bout to pass through."

Roman looked up just as she came into his view. It seems as time stood still and no one else was around him but her. She had big juicy, dark brown ringlets with hints of red highlights. Her smooth sun-kissed skin glowed as she took each step. Her simple white, form-fitting crop top paired with her distressed shorts was all she needed to accent her flawless shape. Her toned legs shook slightly with each step. His face turned a bright red hue as he watched most beautiful woman he had ever seen before in his life walk by. He felt his heart quicken in pace and sweat trickle down his face. "Damn, he wasn't lying. Wait, dammit she can see me all flushed and bothered." He thought to himself as he reached for his sunglasses before he realized they were still in the console up front. Roman quickly, yet calmly, went up to the front and grabbed his sunglasses.

"You alright over there uce? You seem flushed." Jey said as he saw Roman's reaction to her.

"Nah, that's that trainer thirst," Jimmy said as he snickered. "Heeeeeey! Come on over, I have someone I want you to meet." Jimmy said as he motioned for her to come over.

"What are you doing?" Roman said through his teeth after he put his sunglasses on. "We need to go inside and now you have her- on second thought, this is worth it."

Jimmy caught her attention causing her to change directions and head towards them. She looked at Jimmy and Jey with excitement as she didn't know many people here yet. It was always good to see familiar faces. She had met them at a live show but hadn't met the third man before. She looked on as she walked closer, squinting behind her sunglasses. The man ducked behind the SUV before she could catch a glimpse of his face but when he re-emerged, she saw his trademark tattoo and knew it could only be one man. His hair was pulled back into a smooth bun with freshly trimmed sides. His beard was full and thick this time, very different from his usual look. His large biceps glistened in the sunlight as he stood talking to the twins. His snug tank left little to the imagination as the outline of his muscles peeked through. She had had a crush on this man ever since he had emerged on the FCW scene as Leakee. She tried to keep her cool, her inner fan girl was losing its mind, as she finally made it over to them.

"Hey, guys! How are y'all doing? Are Y'all ready for the show tonight?" she said as she finally made it over to them.

Jimmy responded, "Hell yeah, we are gonna snag that dub tonight and show the world just how we get down. We at home tonight and getting mad love from the hometown crowd. Pops out there with the rest of the bloodline, big uce over here gonna snag his own dub, we're taking over NXT. They ain't ready for us. Oh, where are my manners? This is my cousin, Roman. Don't mind him, he ain't really got many people skills. That's why they always make him ride solo. He has been that way since we were kids, Roman speak up man!"

Roman stood there silently, admiring the beauty of the woman in front of him. He was enamored by her and didn't even know her name yet. "Sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Roman, can I get yours?" he said confidently as he tried to compensate for his silence.

"Its okay. Silence speaks volumes at times. My name is Draya. I'm a new trainer here. I have seen a few of your matches and I must admit I was very impressed. You have a really sick finisher. It's one of my favorites." Draya said through a large smile.

"Oh really?" Roman said as his eyebrows lifted in surprise and his lips formed a sincere smile. "The moment of silence? That was something I added for fun. I thought it was a cool way to end the match with impact. Hmmm, do you have any other suggestions that you would like to add? I'd love your input." Roman said as he looked down at her in deep thought. He didn't want to stop talking to her but he needed an idea to snag this one before someone else did.

"Yes, the moment of silence! It's my favorite finisher by my favorite superstar!" Draya said with a whimsical wink. "I honestly have loved watching your career unfold in FCW and can't wait to see what you have in store. I'll definitely be watching closely." She said as she bit her lower lip before breaking into a large smile.

The twins eyes widened as they looked between the two. They looked at each other before looking at Roman with a suggestive smirk. Jey whispered to Jimmy, "Oh shit, look at Roman getting his little mack on with the trainer. Come on big uce, you better make ya move man!" Jimmy looks back at Jey, " the charisma flows through our veins man, he bout to hook line and sink that shit! Get her!!!" he whispered as the two continued to look on.

"Dr-Draya? Can we get a bite to eat sometime if your not too busy, maybe?" Roman stammered over his words as he looked at Draya's soft eyes somewhat visible through her large sunglasses.

"You know, I just go-" she started before she had a moment to think. She thought to herself, "THIS IS ROMAN FREAKING REIGNS!!!! If you don't say yes!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!" Her inner voice screamed out as she rethought her response. "I would love to. Here take my number down and let me know when's a good time to meet up." She said as her full lips curled up into a smile.

"It's oka- wait really? Hold that thought," he said as he looked for his phone in his luggage. He rummaged through several pockets in his luggage before he remembered where he had left his phone. He reached down into his short pockets and pulled it out. "Now, where were we?" He said with a charming smile. She continued giving him her number and he entered it into his phone.

"Draya! Hurry up, we need to get the trainer's room stocked up for the show. there's a segment in there we have to prepare for!" one of the producers called out to her.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave but definitely hit me up and let me know when you want to hang out." Draya said as she turned to head towards the arena.

"I definitely plan on it, ah yes sir!" Draya laughed at his cute gesture and headed towards the arena to the trainer's room as Roman's eyes stayed fixed on her until she was out of sight.

He looked down at his phone as they all stood silent. "Real smooth there cuz, Dr-Draya can we go out to eat maybe?" Jimmy said in a mocking tone. Jey burst out in laughter as they continued to mock Roman's mannerisms around Draya.

"Look, it worked. I got her number. Wait, how do Y'all know her? Where was I when- why Y'all just telling me about her?! We could have been talking!" Roman said in an astonished tone.

"Man, trust us it was a process. We had to scope her out for a little bit, make sure she would get the stamp of approval! You know how your mom is sometimes. She used to cheer with Naomi in Orlando. They grew up together and when she took the job here, she reached out to Naomi. Draya let it be known that she was ready to meet some new people. Naomi actually had the idea for us to introduce y'all. We all hung out together a few weeks ago and we told her about you. Naomi told her all about you and pressure me into setting this whole little thing up. Don't worry, Draya is a good girl. Y'all probably end up together soon. You one of those faithful, romantic types. She like that shit." Jimmy said confidently. "Come on, before they on our ass for being late," Jimmy continued as he tossed Jey his bags before picking up his own. Roman shook his head and put his headphones in before grabbing his own bags. He locked the SUV behind them and set the alarm before they headed off into the arena.

The guys entered the arena as a small crowd had already begun to form to get pictures of talent before the show. They waved to the fans and took a few pictures before heading back to the locker room. The trio went to the locker room to drop off their stuff before heading out to catering.

" I don't know about y'all, but I'm starving. I can't work under these conditions." Jimmy said as they turned the corner down the hall from catering.

"I'm hungrier than a locked jaw buzzard out here in these streets," Jey said as he patted his stomach slightly. Jimmy and Roman paused as looked at him, which in turn made him stop as well.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Roman said with a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't know. I'm delirious as hell cause yo ass wouldn't stop at the Burger King so I could load up on the combo meal. You thought I was sleep. I wasn't sleep, I was malnourished from starvation. Wasting away cause of your lack of care about my health," Jey said as he inhaled deeply catching a whiff of the aroma from down the hall. "Whatever they made smells good in here! GOOD LAWD, we have been blessed!" He continued as they approached the catering room.

"I didn't know you were talking, I had my headphones in to cover the snoring. My bad bro. Now, let's eat." Roman said with a laugh as he tried to hide the fact that he just didn't feel like busting the u-turn for the Burger King.

They picked up plates and silverware at the beginning of the buffet. They piled their plates to their heart's content before placing their stacked plates on the table and getting drinks. Roman walked back to the table with empty eyes as his mind wandered elsewhere. He thought back to seeing Draya and couldn't help but think about the possibility of them being together. The feelings he felt upon meeting Draya we're different from the feelings he had ever had for anyone else. He started eating his food as he toyed with the idea again. "What if meeting Draya was a sign of better things to come but what if it all went down like the last time that I thought it was love? I mean, I did just meet her but the chemistry feels insane. She's been watching me since FCW. What if she's just another groupie using her job as a dating pool. Nope, she doesn't give off that vibe. Naomi wouldn't recommend that we talk if she was like that. I'm sure Jimmy probably mentioned Lisa to her by now. Everyone brings up Lisa. That was a big mistake but am I truly ready to date again? I'm over thinking this way too much. It's just a date. Wait, is this even a date? What did she say when I asked her that the first time? Damn, too much time has passed, I don't remember what she said." He thought to himself as he continued to eat.

He was silently lost in his own mind when he saw Jimmy's hand reach in front of him and heard a loud snap.

"What the f- what the hell is wrong with you?" Roman eyes narrowed as he looked at Jimmy sternly.

"Uh huh, over there so lost in thought you didn't even hear this man call your name. That girl got you sprung before the first date. Man, he trying to tell you what's happening in your match tonight." Jimmy said before he continued to chow down on the tasty grub alongside Jey. Roman stood up and wiped his mouth with his napkin as he swallowed the last bit of food.

"Reach over here again and I'm kicking your ass, how about that?" Roman said as he sternly looked at Jimmy. "I'm serious about my food man." He said as he walked backward towards the producer.

"Ro, why you gotta be so serious all the damn time? You the one over there in la la land I'm trying to help you out!" Jimmy said with a large smile in between bites.

Roman held up two fingers up to his eyes then back to where he had left his plate. He mouthed," I will fuck you up!" as he turned back around to meet with the producer.

" Okay Roman, your match is closing us out, we need you to be ready because its gonna be a good one. You're gonna face The Miz. It will set the tone for the rest of the program that we have in store for you two. Your matches have been stellar so far so keep up the good work. There will be an interview for you to address what Miz said at an event. You state what you feel then there's a break. Your match will be after the Usos," the producer said as he gently tapped Roman's arm.

Roman nodded as he said,"thanks for the heads up". He smiled to himself before heading back to the table to finish his food.

Jey and Jimmy looked up as Jey asked,"what was that about uce?" "Oh, just who my opponent is tonight, that's all. I'm facing The Miz and they wanted to set up a long feud between us. I'm doing an interview to hype it up. The usual. It's all good." He said before he continued eating his meal.

Once the boys finished up, they headed to the locker room area as the time for the show drew near. The brothers went to go play a quick game of NBA2K. Meanwhile, Roman had just finished up his shower to freshen up after the drive. He had his music playing as he wrapped a towel around his waist. His hair was still dripping as he let it hang down to dry a little bit. He went over to his bag to look for his NXT T-shirt and wrestling gear. As he searched his bag, his mind ventured out on its own journey. He couldn't decide if it was too early to text Draya, given the fact that they just met today but at the same time he was excited to find out more about her. She sparked an interest that he couldn't ignore. On the other hand, being too eager would drive her away. He contemplated reaching out repeatedly with no definite decision. He wrote grabbed his phone numerous times and typed the message out several times before deleting it in fear of her reaction. The indecisiveness was eating at him in the hours since they had seen her. This was completely throwing Roman for a loop. How do you let go of past hurt and embrace even a remote chance at happiness? A heart hardened by past abuse is harder to open. His palms started to sweat as he held the phone in his hands, trying to gain the courage to text her.

Roman: Maybe if you aren't busy after the show, we can go grab a bite to eat at Nick's Boathouse?

He looked down at the phone in his hands and watched cursor blink as he finally mustered up the courage to ask Draya out. He tossed the phone to the side to distract himself from waiting hopelessly for a reply. Roman continued looking in his bag before he pulled out an NXT t-shirt out of his bag with black wrestling tights. He placed the shirt over his now mildly damp hair before pulling it down over his body. He slipped on his underwear before sliding on the tights. He pulled on his knee pads before putting on his socks as his phone vibrated. His eyes widened as he rushed over to see who it was, just as the Usos walked in. Roman froze as he realized they had entered. He looked at them as they stared him down.

"What did you do?" Jey asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, why you standing over there like that? You look like you just got caught stealing out the cookie jar. Speaking of delicious treats did you text her yet?" Jimmy asked as he walked in.

"Uh, yeah I did. She just answered." Roman said as his head hung down looking at his lock screen.

"What did she say that got you looking like somebody stole your lollipop?" Jey asked with a slight grin.

Draya: Sounds great! I can meet you after the show and we can ride over! So glad to hear from you! Good luck tonight.

He read the message quietly to himself again before he smiled shyly. He sat down to lace his boots up as he nodded his head in approval.

"Oh shit! The real Roman is back baby. That's that smile that's been missing for so long. Man, you in there! I knew she was digging you! So what you got planned for Miss Sweet Thang?" Jey asked as he leaned all his weight on Roman's back playfully.

"You gotta go all out! The whole nines for the one who's finer than all the finest wine!" Jimmy said with a loud laugh. "Ya feel me dog, you gotta be real with that one cause I know some out there just waiting in line."

"Alright, alright! I got an idea but I'm not telling you or you cause y'all gonna mess it up. Just know, I got it under control." Roman said with a confident nod. "Ah, yessir! It is in the bag baby! I'm coming strong with this one." He smiled proudly as he sent a message back to confirm the date.

Roman: I'll see you then! Can't wait! Thank you so much for the well wishes!

He texted before tossing his phone back into his bag. He dabbed up his cousins before heading to the backstage area to go watch a little bit of the show.

Draya received Roman's message and instantly checked it from her Apple watch screen since the show had already started. She desperately tried to contain the excitement as she watched the show from the training room. Draya heard a soft knock but before she could answer, Naomi entered. Naomi's smile was big and bright as the Glow Queen immediately came over and hugged Draya.

"I heard that someone has a date with a certain someone else thanks to her best friend in the world. Now I wonder, who could it be behind this match made in heaven?" Naomi said playfully as she pulled away from the hug.

Draya bashfully replied, "Shhh, keep it down! I don't want anyone to know yet. I'm still in disbelief myself! What should I wear? Oh my goodness, he looked amazing in just a basic outfit. I was so lost in those big brown eyes and that smooth skin. His chiseled good looks, mmmm! Thank you for setting up the introduction. I know this seems psycho but I think he's the one that's going to change my life. Something about us being around each other just felt right. You know how I can get sometimes." Draya said with a hopeful smirk.

"Well, you know he's family and I'll only hook you up with the best. I've known you since our days playing hopscotch outside your grandmother's house. You know I had to hook it up. Some little birdies told me he is just as excited as you are. I hope tonight goes well. You better tell me about it too girl, I'll be up! Be safe and enjoy the show ma!" Naomi walked away still smiling over how well her first stint as a matchmaker was going.

The show was going smoothly so far as Roman watched in the backstage area. Josh appeared next to him.

"Are you ready to shoot the interview?" he asked as the crew came close around them.

"Yeah, let's do it," Roman said as he stood with his hands on his hips. He pushed his hair back as he looked down thoughtfully.

"Cameras rolling, let's go!" the cameraman said.

A clip from an interview that Miz shot during a promotional event plays as the two stand there. In the clip, an audience member asks The Miz what he thought about some of the other wrestlers in the locker room.

"You know that's an interesting question, I have the perfect example of a non- talented overrated muscle-bound freak that steals attention from much more deserving superstars because he fits the mold that people see as successful in this company. See, the people in charge love to push guys that have a certain look that satisfies whatever sick fantasy that they have in there head. Roman Reigns fits that mold. He's another corporate creation being pushed for his good looks and ability to turn on female audience members to move merchandise. He has a limited skill set and an even more limited ability to speak. He hasn't done anything in his career as of yet that I am impressed by. As far as I am concerned, he's not worthy to be in the same conversation as me, let alone share the same ring with me. I give it a year tops. A year before he is scrapped and jobbing to local competitors or back in Pensacola working some minimal wage job wrestling on the weekends in some high school gym. This is NXT, a branch of one of the most well known wrestling companies in the world. This isn't for pretty boys. This is for guys who have made their lives revolve around wrestling. I didn't become a wrestler on a whim because I had nothing else going for myself and called up some of daddy's buddies to get me a job. No! This has been my life. I dare him to enter the ring with me and we see who emerges victorious! You can bet your ass it will be ME, CAUSE IM THS MIZ AND IM AWE-SOME, " he said as he casually tossed the mic to the side before exiting the stage.

The clip ends as the Roman appears on screen with Josh Matthews. Josh begins, "Based on what we just saw in that clip, it's clear that The Miz has a problem with you. What do you think brought this on?"

Roman replied as Josh tilted the mic towards his mouth. "Yeah, I guess you can say he does. I think it stems from insecurity. I came through FCW and killed it there. It's now NXT and there is still a buzz around me because of my dominance there. The Miz came through a different path and is one of the more experienced competitors. Facing The Miz tonight will have its degree of challenges much like any other match. He is a high caliber athlete and I am by no means intimidated. Miz has made the grave mistake of making this matter personal by mentioning my family. I'm not a carbon copy of anyone. I make my own path to greatness and if that means I have to go through The Miz to get where I need to be then so be it. However, if you have something to say to me Miz, you make damn sure you can back it up in the ring. I don't tend to beat around the bush, handle your problems one on one in the ring instead of hiding behind a camera for social media attention."

Josh looked back at the camera awkwardly as the animosity was made evident.

Roman suddenly drops down cradling his knee as The Miz stands tall over him after a malicious cheap shot targeting the back of Roman's knee with a steel pipe. He continued to strike Roman's knee with the pipe as Roman writhed in pain. Roman took slow deep breaths to ease the pain. The pain radiated up his leg with each movement. He desperately tried to make it to his feet using the stage equipment for support. He planted his left leg firmly as he, gingerly, tried to place little weight on his right leg. Even touching the tip of his boot to the ground was too much for him to bear at the moment. This strategic movement provided the perfect opportunity for Miz to knock Roman back down with a vicious shoulder block to the knee from behind. The Miz carefully watched as he continued his methodical attack.

Roman screamed out, "Aaaah G- Aaah, man!"

The Miz looked down at his handy work before picking up Roman's legs and spreading them apart. He stood between each leg and began stomping Roman's midsection, driving the air out from Roman's lungs. He coughed violently and breathed heavily as Miz delivered another devastating blow. Roman acted on instinct and started punching at The Miz's legs trying to break free. This angered The Miz more as he bent Roman's right knee around his own leg and placed Roman's left leg behind it to lock in the Figure Four. The pain forced Roman to sit straight up as he roared in pain. He pulled at his own hair as he tried to fight through the pain. He sat up and tried punching at The Miz's knee to force the break. Just then the Usos rounded the corner and broke out in a sprint towards Roman.

"AWWW, HELL NAW!!!" Jimmy screamed out as he lifted his foot to kick The Miz square in the jaw while Jey pulled Roman away, breaking the hold. The Miz fell back from the impact of Jey's kick. He scrambled away holding his jaw.

"YOU'RE MINE TONIGHT, I WILL EXPOSE YOU TO THE WORLD AS THE PHONY YOU ARE ROMAN!" Miz yelled from a distance as referees came from no where to force him away from Roman. "Did you see what that psycho did to my face?! Where the hell were you all then?" He said as he pulled away from the referees' grip.

"MOVE! AHHH, SHIT! GET OFF ME!" Roman screamed out as he jerked away from the referees. "DON'T TOUCH MY LEG, I WI- YOU BETTER NOT!" He said in a low grumble.

The pain coursed through his leg as a result of the brutal hold. The relief from the pressure felt amazing but the help from Jimmy and Jey did nothing for his damaged pride. All he could think about was the embarrassment that he was served at the hands of The Miz, the rest of his family watching this from ringside, and getting his hands on that coward. The Usos surveyed the area as the monitors cut to the replay of the vicious assault.

Just as the replay ended, the fallout showed on screen. "About damn time Y'all asses show up, if we hadn't of gotten here in time Miz punk ass would still be trying to rip his leg off," Jimmy snapped at the crew.

Jey looked on with his hands on his hips, "Yo, Ro! You good man?"

Roman shook his head no as he laid writhing in pain. His face flushed as the sweat poured out.

"Nah, man. It feels pretty bad." Roman said as he held his knee in anguish. He slowly removed his knee pad to decrease the pain while breathing heavily. A loud groan escaped his lips as he clutched his knee and rolled over to his side.

A trainer rushed to his side to assess the damage. He haphazardly placed his hand on Roman's knee, thinking it was all a work. Roman withdrew quickly. "DON'T TOUCH ME," he screamed sternly. This caught the twins attention as they realized it could have been something more serious.

"Move yo ass out the way, you doing more harm than good! We got him. We'll take him back there." Jimmy reached out his open hand and grabbed Roman's arm as Jey did the same on the other side. Roman pulled himself up carefully with the help of his cousins and slowly stood to his feet. He exhaled sharply as he felt the jolt of pain in his knee. The twins threw his each one of his arms around their necks and slowly walked with him to the trainer room.

"Take your time man. We have to make it all the way down this hall. You good or you need a break?" Jey said as he felt Roman slow to a stop. They held him up there as he breathed heavily.

The cameras faded to the commentary team, which consisted of Michael Cole and CM Punk. Michael and Punk looked into the camera with solemn expression.

Michael stated, "Thinking back to what we just saw, you can't help but wonder will Roman make it to the match scheduled for later tonight after that savage beating at the hands of The Miz. His family joined by his father, Hall of Famer Sika, in the audience. It was truly a despicable act. We will have more on Roman's status here tonight later in the program."

Now that the cameras were no longer rolling, Roman begged to go back to the locker room. "I cannot, I can't... I can't let her see me like this, man. I can go to the locker room and just chill there." He pleaded as he let go of Jimmy to push his hair back out of his face.

"Man, are you serious right now? You worrying about that right now when you can't even stand on your own?! Bruh, we taking you to the training room. Jimmy, don't pay this fool no mind. Not going to no damn locker room, you need to get your head checked too. Talking all that nonsense, you are not gonna have Aunt Patti coming after me then I need a hospital room next to you," Jey continued as he shook his head, "No, Lawd! Not tonight!"

The trio slowly started back up again and made it to the training room as Draya waited anxiously. She had watched the attack and started prepping the exam table for his arrival. Jimmy and Jey entered the room somberly as they took Roman over to the exam table. He held his right leg stiffly as let go of the Usos and leaned on the table. His silence broken by an agonizing groan as he tried to get himself seated on the table. Draya quickly filled a large plastic bag with ice as she hurried to his side. She brought the bag over to the examination table as he carefully lifted his leg up onto the table. He grimaced with clenched teeth as he slid back against the wall.

Draya placed the ice in his knee as she warned him, "It'll be a small shock then it'll start to numb the pain. Try to keep it still and I'll get something to support it." She went over to the clear bins and pulled out a soft wedge. She walked back over with the wedge as she spoke to the Usos, "I need y'all to hold his leg up while I slide this under it. I don't want to torture him by making him do it himself."

The twins obliged and helped hold his leg up slightly as she placed the wedge. He winced slightly as they lowered it back down to the wedge. She repositioned the ice and proceeded to untie the laces on his boot. Once she slid the boot off, Draya carefully slid off his knee pad. He let out an unexpected groan that startled her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. That just felt really good to get that off." Roman said with a slight chuckle.

"I figured it would. It's definitely swollen up pretty bad. You really took a beating," she said with a concerned look. "Is it okay if I touch it?"She asked as Roman nodded. She gently palpated his knee as she continued to assess the damage. He tensed up slightly as she touched the most tender spots. Once she reached the source of the pain, he groaned loudly through clenched teeth. She looked up at his face, now contorted with agony. He struck the table with his fist to keep from making another loud outburst.

Draya looked into his anger filled eyes as she began,"Roman, I don't think it's a good idea for you wrestle The Miz until you have this checked out. From what I can tell, it can be something serious. It's swollen, you can't really put much weight on it, the possibilities are endless for what it could be. How about you rest here and think things over before going through with the match? Once you make a decision, I can tape it up for you." She said as her eyebrows raised slightly with concern.

"Okay," he said with a heavy sigh. He ran his hands down his face as he dropped his head back against the wall. "I'll trust your opinion," he said quietly. He ran his hands back through his hair as his cousins looked on.

"Aight, we are gonna be back, uce. We have our match out next, I'll let Aunt Patti and Unc know what's up. You're in good hands so I trust you'll be aight,"Jimmy said with a wink.

"Yeah, man! Listen to her and we go get this dub. You still have an ass kicking to dish out to The Miz for this bullshit!" Jey said as he dabbed up Roman.

"Alright, I'll see y'all,"Roman replied before looking back at Draya.

Once the twins left, silence filled the room. Roman closed his eyes briefly to let the ice work it's magic. Draya prepared a heat pack before sitting down next to Roman. He heard the chair squeak a little and opened his eyes. He looked at her beautiful face and thought to himself,"you're wasting your chance! Say something!" He nodded reassuringly and decided to listen to his gut.

"Hey, I know this should probably be the furthest thing from my mind but with so many questions about tonight, as far as me wrestling and what this injury is, I would love to hear a little about you. I mean, if you'd like to share. I'm not going anywhere for a while,"he said with a weak smile.

Draya looked at him and smiled meekly. "I guess that's a good way to fill the time. Where should I start?" She said as she looked around in search of an idea. "Well, I am a former dance team captain for the Orlando Magic and Naomi was one of my best friends growing up. We worked together for about 3 years and I used the money I made there to put myself through school for athletic training. I worked alongside the Magic's trainers during school to get my credits. Once I graduated, Naomi called me up and told me about the opening here, knowing how much of a wrestling fan I am. She thought it was perfect. She was definitely right. I love it, I get to watch the events and interact with you guys. I never thought my career would bring me here but I'm glad it did." She laughed a little as she bit her lower lip before she looked back at Roman and commented,"Okay, Mr. Powerhouse, spill it. Tell me the juicy deets."

Roman's eyes opened wide," Juicy deets? Uh, let's see. Well, I'm 24 also. I kind of grew up around the business but never saw myself becoming a wrestler. I thought I could just go off to college and graduate then find a job at some big financial corporation. You know, one of those fancy Wall Street dudes. Instead, I found a job as an intern for a small local bank here in Pensacola. It started off great but the more I worked the less satisfied I felt. I was sinking financially and emotionally. It was a lot going on and I turned to wrestling as my escape. I took it on as a hobby until the old man told me that I needed to make a choice, and I chose to pursue wrestling wholeheartedly. That led me to trying out for FCW and now NXT. I feel genuinely happy after all the hell it took to light that fire under my ass. It was some other factors in there as well but those are stories for a later time." He said with a slight chuckle as he look back at her, now relaxed, face before he continued. "You know, I don't know exactly what you're looking for right now but I am glad that we are talking. There's something about you that intrigued me." He said as he lifted his hand to his beard pensively.

Draya's eyes widened as she laughed at his comment,"Y'know I get that a lot, I really do! To answer your question, I feel like I'm ready to date again. I put that on the back burner to focus on my career and now that I have my dream job, I'm ready to share this journey with someone else. Now, it's my turn to ask what are you looking for?" She asked boldly.

"Wooo, it's a little hot, do these tables come with heated seats," he asked jokingly in response to her serious tone. "Before getting into wrestling and all this stuff, I was in a long term relationship with my childhood sweetheart. Lisa, was the woman I had envisioned sharing the rest of my life with. Honestly, I never saw myself doing anything without her. We just seemed to go through a rough patch after graduating college and never recovered from it. I spiraled out of control not being able to work through the pain. I became an asshole, I'll admit it. I didn't care about anything or anyone after going through that relationship. I just wanted the hurt to go away, which led me to work out constantly and study moves in the ring. I got in front of the crowd to wrestle and all of that melted away. The anger and pain is gone. I am open to finding someone else now. I realize that it just wasn't meant to be. I accepted that fact, now I'm deciding to let it go to make room for something else to grow." Draya looked up, blown away by the maturity of his words and the conviction in his eyes.

Roman shifted slightly, wincing as he struggled to get comfortable. Draya removed the now melted ice pack and replaced it with a heat pack to relax the pain away. "How does that feel?"she asked sweetly.

"It's still pretty tender, I think I should be able to make it through tonight. What do you think,"he asked with a small bit of hope in his voice.

"We can test it out by having you stand on it a little bit. In my opinion, I think you should take it easy. But, knowing how bad you most likely want to get some revenge on The Miz in your hometown, I can clear you for the match. I will tape it pretty heavily though and place the knee pad over it."

He nodded as he thought over the options she listed. "I'll get up, are you sure that you can handle it alone? I can wait for those two knuckleheads to come back." He replied in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I got you." She said as she held out her hand for him to take.

He grabbed her hand and pulled himself up to a fully seated position. He carefully lifted his leg off the wedge and shifted his weight so his legs dangled off the side. He took her hand again to help him push off the exam table as he planted his left foot on the ground. He stood up and placed his right foot on the ground with limited weight on it. He grimaced slightly but as soon as Draya looked up, he laughed nervously.

"I'm fine, I'm good." He said as he pounded his chest a little bit.

Draya drew closer in case he needed more support than he was willing to admit. He smiled as he felt the warmth of her body brush past his. "How do you feel on your feet?" She asked before letting go gradually. He shifted his weight and tried to walk a small distance. He had a very noticeable limp and was definitely walking slower than normal.

"I think I'll be okay for tonight. I know it'll be a huge bullseye but I'll work smart." He said confidently.

"Aight, I'll tape it up then. Here sit on the table again." She said as she patted the spot.

He leaned and scooted back on the table enough for her to start wrapping his knee. Draya bent down to one knee as she carefully began to wrap the knee with white athletic tape until it ran out. She secured the tape before she grabbed his knee pad to slide over her handy work.

"Okay, this is gonna be extremely uncomfortable while I put this on. Let me know if you need a break." She looked up at him for confirmation before starting.

"Trust me, I'll be fine!" He said with a confident smirk, trying to mask the nervousness he felt on the inside. She started to slide it up, taking her time as she approached the most tender spots. He groaned slightly in discomfort as she managed to get it into place.

"Thank you so much!" He said with a sharp exhale as she stood back up. He stood back up and Draya quickly offered herself as support. His knee gave a little as she stood next to him. He grabbed her instinctively, bringing her closer. The two stood closely looking into each other's eyes longingly unable to pull away. The connection between them was stronger than they both were ready for. It was as if their souls remembered meeting each other in another life. The energy filled the room with warmth as they continued to stand there.


	2. Laying the Foundation

"It tried to give out on me for a sec! Thank you for that!" Roman said as he realized he might have actually fallen if she would not have been there.

"You're welcome, you can lean on me for as long as you need to. I don't plan on going anywhere." Draya replied with a suggestive smirk.

"I don't plan on letting you go anywhere anytime soon." Roman replied as he backed up to lean against the examination table. He brought her in close with both hands, resting gently on her waist. "I still plan on keeping my word and taking you out tonight. I'm not going back in my word. I wasn't raised to lie, especially to someone as beautiful as the woman that stands before me. Whatever this injury may be, let it be. One thing is for sure, no matter what I have to do to make it happen, it will happen tonight, "he said confidently.

"Roman, I understand. It doesn't have to be a fancy restaurant. Although, once you are able, I will hold you to that fancy restaurant date. This was something that was completely unexpected. Don't over do it, okay? You still have a match against The Miz to prepare for. A large part of your arsenal involves high power moves, which requires a lot of work on that knee. Just be careful. We can worry about tonight when it comes. Right now, focus on kicking The Miz ass for trying to take you out." Draya said as she pushed Roman's hair back out of his face. "I'll be here waiting when you come through that curtain. Don't worry. You're the only man on my radar as of right now." Her eyes searched his face for a sign that her words comforted him in some way.

Roman looked down at her hands and lifted one to his lips for a gentle kiss as he looked back up into her eyes. "I don't know what brought us together at this moment in our lives but I am happy that I am the man I am now and able to see the value you can add to my life. Had it been any other time before now, I would have let this opportunity slip away and been doomed to wander around lost forever in search of something that doesn't even compare to the feelings that I feel right now. You're a special woman Draya, and I hope that you deem me worthy of you." Roman said in a low voice as he looked down at her hands once more and nodded. "You're right, I'll focus in making it through my match tonight. Then after that, it's all about us."

Interrupting the tender momentum between the new lovebirds, a loud ruckus was heard outside the door. Fearing the worst, Roman moved Draya to the side and stood to his feet in a defensive stance in front of her.

"Stay here, I'll go check and see what it is." He said with force as she nodded slowly in compliance.

He grabbed a chair and folded it up quickly as he saw the doorknob jiggle. He limped heavily to the door and stood behind it with the chair held high, ready to attack whoever was trying to get in. He wouldn't put it past The Miz to come up with another premeditated attack.

"Come on Miz, I'm ready for you now. You like to blindside people with steel pipes. Aight, I'm ready for your ass, "he muttered to himself.

Just as the door open, the Usos walked in talking about their hard-fought victory against the unlikely duo of Big E and Cesaro.

"Man, we had them boys shook. They didn't know where we were hitting them from. We were just knocking them out with lefts and rights then- BAM! You came in clutch with the superkick, bro. Hey Draya where did Ro- WOAH! HEY, CHILL RO! HEY, It's us. IT'S US!" Jimmy said as he saw Roman swinging the chair towards him.

"Roman! What the hell- Miz got you out here like this fam? Calm yo ass down and put that chair down. CALM DOWN!" Jey said as he slowly tried to approach Roman to take the chair away from him.

Roman stopped mid swing and lowered his hands to his sides as he dropped the chair. He ran his hands through his hair and pulled some slightly in frustration. His biceps twitching slightly under the light.

"I'm sorry, sorry. I heard the noise and thought Miz was gonna try something while I was in the training room. I didn't think it was y'all coming back. I didn't want Draya to get hurt because of me. I overreacted. I'm sorry." Roman handed the chair to Jey and lifted both of his hands slightly in the air as he slowly limped to the nearest seat.

"I'm just glad my spidey senses were tingling to trigger my quick reflexes. You hiding behind the door like the popo lurk in the shadows just waiting for some dumb ass to come flying down the street. We are gonna put this chair over here where we can see it, he tripping right now." Jimmy said as he propped the chair against the table.

"How are you feeling, uce? You ready to fight?" Jey said as he saw Roman was still heavily favoring his right knee.

"I'm not at a 100% but I'm going out there and I'm kicking his ass. This is what I do and whatever comes of it, I'll deal with. He can talk shit about me all day but when he mentions my family, I can't let that go. Not in my hometown." Roman said as he cautiously stood to his feet. He glanced back at Draya before he turned back to his cousins. "Make sure nothing happens to her. I don't want Miz to try anything. That man will stop at nothing to prove his point." He limped heavily towards Draya, grimacing slightly with each step. He drew in close and held her in his muscular arms as she pressed her head against his chest. "I will see you after my match, " he said as he kissed her on the top of her head. "I'll be okay and we will spend the rest of the night together once I shut his big mouth up once and for all." He let go slowly as he turned around to head for the door.

"Miz punked out tonight and took the easy way out. He chose to be a lil BITCH and hit people from behind. Ya see, it ain't going down like that. Nah, Roman gonna split his shit to the white meat. HE AINT READY, bum knee and all. Miz going down." Jimmy said as Jey nodded in agreement.

"You know what it is, man. You gonna snatch that dub tonight and show them what the blood line is made of." Jey said with conviction.

Roman silently walked out the door as he began to mentally prepare for his match. The attack replayed in his mind as he walked down the hall. His anger intensified as the closer he got to the ring. He headed towards the production room just as a producer headed out.

"Roman, are you good to continue with the match? We know you went to the trainers room but that trainer never called to give us an update." The producer scolded. "What is she here for if she can't do her damn job?!" Roman looked up with intense eyes as he heard the accusation.

"I suggest you change your tone. She did a damn good job of taking care of me back there. NXT is lucky to have hired a phenomenal trainer who is diligent in her work. She's by far more competent than the jackass that arrived when I first went down. Earlier, you told me that it was a match and an interview. THAT'S ALL! You mentioned NOTHING about a spot with Miz involving a steel pipe. To answer your question, I'm cleared to compete. Make this your LAST time, you forget to tell me about something like this cause I won't be responsible for my reaction." Roman glared at the producer briefly before walking away as the producer awkwardly looked away in shame.

Just as he entered the production room, the producers stood there bouncing ideas off of each other to determining what will happen once the show was back from commercial. "The Miz came out during the commercial break in an attempt to keep those two away from each other until the main event. Once we're back live, he's going to have a small segment where he talks about the attack as it shows in the replay. He will make it seem as if Roman isn't going to make it out tonight. As of right now, there's been no word as far as the crowd knows. Then just as he gets cocky and calls for the referee to count Roman out and announce him as the winner, BOOM! Cue his music! Got it?" The rest of the group nodded in agreement as Roman passed them by.

"Roman, hang here for a minute. We will give you the cue to head out." The producer called out. Roman turned back slightly and nodded, acknowledging the statement. He took a seat and extended his right leg to rest it briefly as he crossed his arms. He looked up at the monitor just as the show went back live.

The Miz stood in the middle of the ring, wearing his black and white 3/4 sleeve baseball tee that had "I'm Awesome" printed across the front in red and yellow font, paired with his black wrestling trunks. His wrists heavily taped with black athletic tape. His arms rested at his sides with the mic in his hand. He slowly raised the mic to his thin lips as the arena filled with deafening boos and sporadic cheers. He stared out into the crowd as a smug smirk spread across his face. "Do you hear that? All the prepubescent girls and lonely middle aged women in the audience are angry! They're pissed off that I took out their precious Roman Reigns. For those who missed it, don't worry. Let me fill you in on exactly why I did what I did. You see, Roman Reigns came through FCW which is now what you know as NXT. Roman was a subpar performer that all these people fussed about because he has the large muscle bound frame that fits the typical heavyweight mold. He walks in here, they package him as the golden ticket to take NXT to the next level simply because of fans like you that don't care about the degree of athleticism or technical abilities a wrestler has. No, no, no! Why does a wrestler actually need to know how to wrestler to get over? Let's just glance over the botches and hone in on what truly matters, the fact that he's pretty. You know what happens when pretty boys cross paths with the Miz? Well, let's just take a look, shall we?" He says as he lifts his hand to direct the attention of the audience to the monitors. The replay of the vicious attack is shown as the Miz relishes in the anguish.

The clip ends as the camera fades back to The Miz, standing proudly in the ring. "Pretty boys don't stand a chance against me because I am a true competitor that deserves to be respected for my work here in this ring. I deserve your admiration and to be the face of this company. I have the talent to make NXT a global production and put asses in those seats. I am the one who can carry this business to greatness if they will open their eyes to the fact that Roman just can't cut it. You know why he can't cut it? He's so busy trying to bring glory to a family, excuse me, blood line that is way past it's prime. The glory days of The Wild Samoans, Rikishi, The Rock, Umaga, and various others are over if all they have left to rely on is Roman. He is guaranteed to end up a distant after thought, in the shadow of my legacy once I show everyone the true embarrassment that he is to that family and this company, "he said as he walked over to the ring ropes closest to the camera. He placed his foot on the bottom rope and leaned forward, pressing his upper body as leverage while he held on with one hand. "BECAUSE I'M THE MIZ AND I'M AWWWESOOME!" He declared as he stared into the camera.

He jumped back down to his feet as he looked over at the referee standing near the time keeper's area. "YOU! Get in this ring! I know for a fact that Roman won't make it out to this ring tonight. He will probably be sidelined for months following what I did to him tonight. Start the match! HURRY THE HELL UP AND START IT!" Miz exclaimed as the referee frantically scurried into the ring.

Before the referee could be further manipulated by The Miz, "Army of the Dead" burst through the speakers. The crowd erupted with cheers as the hometown crowd awaited his arrival. After a few seconds past, Roman emerged through the curtain and appeared at the top of the ramp. He wore his black tee with "NXT" printed across the front in gold font paired with his black wrestling tights. His long hair glistened in the light as he took in the reaction from the sold out crowd in Pensacola Bay Center. His usual charismatic smile was replaced with a frightening scowl at the sight of The Miz in the middle of the ring.

"Scheduled for one fall, making his way to the ring, from Pensacola, Florida, weighing in at 265 pounds, ROMAN REIGNS!" The ring announcer stated as Roman began to slowly walk down to the ring. Each tortuous step shot pain up his heavily bandaged knee as he made his way to ringside. He caught a glimpse of his father watching proudly. He passed his mother and hugged her at ringside as she looked on worried about her son. He gently whispered, "I'm okay,"before pulling away to enter the ring.

The Miz didn't anticipate Roman making it to the ring tonight, let alone compete. His eyes widened while his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He thought his malicious attack was enough to keep him out of action. His brows lowered as the rage built up inside as Roman carefully climbed the steel steps. Roman paused briefly while they stared each other down. The Miz looked down at Roman's knee, taking mental note of the obvious target. He knew there was no way that Roman would be able to pull off a victory at less than 100 percent. He saw this as the perfect opportunity to make his statement at the expense of the rising superstar.

The Miz paced slightly before heading towards Roman but was cut off by the referee swiftly jumping in front of him. Roman meticulously entered the ring, not wanting to further aggravate the injury. He hobbled over to where The Miz was in the center of the ring. The two stood toe to toe as Roman confronted The Miz about his harsh words, "What was that shit you were talking, huh? What's the matter? Too much of a punk ass bitch to say it to my face now?! ANSWER ME!" Roman yelled as he felt the referee trying to force him back. "Don't fuc- Keep your hands off me! Ring the damn bell." He demanded.

"I will embarrass you in front of your family. Look at the the horror on their faces, Roman! They know deep down you will let their legacy die because you aren't good enough to live up to the family name. You're another Vince McMahon mind slave that will never amount to anything in this business. Give up while you're ahead!" The Miz said boldly as he pushed away the referee.

Roman charged forward, unable to control his emotions any longer. His mind honed in on The Miz's words and something inside snapped. He drove him spine first into the turnbuckle in the far corner before unloading with a series of vicious strikes. The referee pulled Roman off while The Miz threw up his arms to protect his face. Being the more experienced competitor, The Miz skillfully slide out of the ring under the bottom rope as the referee struggled to hold Roman back. His ring awareness came into play and saved him from further abuse at the hands of his unforgiving opponent. He held his jaw while he instructed the referee to force Roman to back up.

"I'm not getting in until he moves back! You better hold him back, ass wipe! How can I wrestle if I have to tell you how to do your job?!" The Miz said as he pointed in Roman's direction.

The referee managed to hold Roman off long enough for The Miz to enter the ring again. The two remained in there respective corners while the referee made sure both competitors were ready to fight. Roman removed his shirt and tossed it ringside while the referee signaled for the time keeper to ring the bell.

The match got underway with the two circling each other in the ring. Roman shook out his leg a little to get some blood flowing to it before The Miz initiated a lock up. Roman forced The Miz into the nearest corner and restrained him there as the referee began to count.

"Come on Roman, let him go!" The referee demanded while he continued the count. The referee attempts to separate the two with his arms. Roman slowly released The Miz before he glanced over at the referee. He tilted his head slightly before he backed away with his hands lifted. The Miz used the referee's interference to his advantage just as he targeted Roman's injured knee with a stiff kick. The kick swept his leg out from under him as he landed face first on the mat. He rolled over onto his back and immediately reached for his knee just as The Miz began to stomp away at it. He had Roman right where he wanted him and had no intention of losing control anytime soon. Like a shark that smelled blood, he continued to stomp the knee relentlessly. The pain grew exponentially with each strike, which rendered Roman defenseless.

The Miz quickly grabbed Roman's leg and proceeded to drag his 265-pound frame to the corner. He grabbed Roman's foot and pulled his leg a good distance before slamming it against the steel ring post. Roman frantically clawed at The Miz as the stinging pain radiated up his leg. The Miz rolled in the ring briefly to break the referee's count of 8.

He firmly grasped Roman's hair in his hands before unloading powerful punches to Roman's face and upper body before he pulled him over to the center of the ring as he reminded Roman what he thought of him. "I told you, Roman! You're nothing but a disappoint to these fans, yourself, and most importantly your family," The Miz stated as he went for the pin.

The referee counted to two before Roman showed some signs of life and got the shoulder up. The Miz popped up with wide eyes as he slapped the mat in frustration. The crowd rallied behind Roman as they interpreted the kick out as a glimpse of hope that their hometown boy could stay in the fight.

Roman laid on the mat as he chest rose and fell with each breath. His eyes fluttered as he heard the roar of the crowd. He began to stir as the noise grew louder. The Miz grabbed Roman's injured leg, after he stood up, and wrapped it around his own leg. Roman dug down deep when he realized what The Miz had planned. He knew that any chances of him winning would go down the drain if he was locked in the Figure Four. He used his left leg to kick The Miz wherever he managed to get his boot to land. The force knocked The Miz backwards. This bought Roman some time to warily make it to his feet.

The momentum caused The Miz to bounce off the ropes. He lifted his feet off the ground as he delivered a devastating drop kick to the right knee. It gave out as it took the brunt of the blow. Roman was down and in a lot of pain as his fists pounded the mat in frustration. He may have over estimated just how badly he was injured. This fact didn't prevent The Miz from further exploiting the injury. He grabbed Roman's leg and rolled him on to his stomach. Before The Miz could get a good grasp on his leg, Roman quickly pushed himself up on his hands and clawed his way to the bottom rope to force the break. He slid under the ropes as sat on the ring edge before he carefully hopped down. The powerhouse hobbled around ringside in a futile attempt to alleviate the crippling pain.

Roman used the ring ropes to pull himself up on the ring edge. Thanks to pure luck, he saw The Miz headed towards him. He pulled down the ring ropes and The Miz sailed over him landing hard against the barricade. The Miz's back arched as he felt the jarring pain spread through his body. Roman had finally created the opening he needed to capitalize. He slid off the ring edge and limped, noticeably, over to The Miz. He pulled him up by the back of his neck and whipped him against the barricade.

"Nope, I ain't finished yet, bitch!" Roman shouted as he helped his bitter rival to his feet. He placed his hand behind The Miz's head before he propelled him into the steel post. Roman roared as the emotion poured out of him. The crowd came alive in the Pensacola Bay Center as Roman tossed the obnoxious asshole's limp body back into the ring. Roman slide in under the bottom rope before used the ropes to hold himself up. He backed into the corner before he belted out, "OOOOOUAAAAA, " at the same time he threw his arms and head back. He saw The Miz gradually make it to his feet while he shook with rage. He charged forward and nearly broke The Miz in half with a precise spear. He quickly went for the pin as he tossed his arm over his opponent's body and hooked his leg.

The referee and the crowd counted to three in unison just before the referee called for the bell. It was now official, Roman had defeated The Miz on his home turf. The crowd celebrated the valiant efforts of their hometown hero. Roman laid on the mat in the midst of the excitement.

The monitors cut to a replay of the match's highlights while his theme played in the background. He heard the crowd continue to chant but couldn't focus on anything but the pain in his knee. He knew that he was expected to celebrate but didn't know if he could make it to his feet on his own. He rolled over on his hands and knees before he looked up at the crowd with a slight grin.

He pushed the referee's hands away as he crawled over to the ring ropes. He leaned against the ropes as the referee awkwardly bent down and raised his hand before stumbling slightly. He smiled faintly for the cameras in an attempt to mask the misstep. He tried to save face until he got the signal that the show was over.

Roman remained in the same spot until The Miz had cleared the ring. His pride wouldn't let him get escorted to the back in front of his entire family, especially his mother. He pondered his other options before he shrugged it off and decided to do it on his own. He shifted his weight to where he could lay on his back and then slide under the bottom rope. He sat on the ring edge and dangled his legs for a moment as he thought of a plan to get down. He jumped down and landed on the stronger leg as he used the ropes to support him while he brought the injured leg down.

Roman stood ringside as he made a goal to get to the barricade without his knee giving out. He knew he couldn't fall in front of the crowd with his mom ringside. He was incredibly thankful that the crew had to switch out the setup to film Main Event, which bought him some extra time to make it to the back.

The limp worsened as he struggled to make it to the barricade. The match had taken a lot out of him. He had exhausted a lot of energy trying to compensate in the ring. He made it over to the barricade just as he was approached by the referee, who discreetly asked,"You're hurting bad, aren't you? I can see if they can stall to buy you some more time."

He nodded slightly, devastated by the fact he would never be able to make it to the back at this pace. "Just let them meet me on the side of the ramp." He said quietly. He accepted defeat in his mind as he felt his knee get weaker with each step.

The referee headed over to the timekeeper's booth and got the announcer to stall the crowd a bit as Roman continued to walk with the support of the barricade. He passed his family and they patted him on the back as encouragement. He didn't make eye contact with them because even though he won, it felt just as bad as if he had lost. After a few more steps, he finally made it to the side of the ramp where he was hidden from the crowd.

Draya paced back and forth as she waited near the production room. She watched the match and saw the fallout. He wasn't his usual self post-match, which made her question what was really going on. Her stomach churned as she anxiously waited for a glimpse of him to appear. Her pocket buzzed as she received notice that a trainer was needed by the side ramp. Her heart sunk as she rushed over to see if it was Roman. She knew it was but didn't want to fade the reality that he could be sidelined indefinitely. She found Roman slumped over on the floor holding his knee. He looked up as the sound of footsteps drew closer. She heard his rapid breaths as he tried to call her name.

"Dr-Dra- Draya," he said as he struggled to control his breathing. His head dropped in shame. His hair fell forward, hiding his face from her sight.

"Oh, my G-Roman?! Roman, are you- are you okay,"she asked while crouching down at his side. She looked down at his hand clutching his knee. She placed on top of his and lifted his chin up. He resisted not wanting her to see his face.

"It's bad," Roman mumbled as he tried his best to ease the pain. "It's really bad, Draya. I can't- I can't make it back there. It g-It gave out when I made it back here. I didn't want my family to see me helped back here. AHHH FU-,"he said as he tried to cope with the pain. He turned a bright red as he slid back against the wall. The veins in his arms rose to the surface as his muscles tensed in response to the pain.

"Don't- don't try to move it, okay?" She said calmly as she pushed his hair back out of his face. "I'll help you up and get you to the trainer's room. Look at me, it's okay." She said as she lifted his chin up.

His red eyes ripped her heart to shreds as she wiped away the stray tears. Her eyes watered slightly as she realized just how strong he was. "We can wait here until you feel like you can try to make it to your feet, okay?" She asked in a comforting tone.

Roman nodded in response once he had sat there for a minute. He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, "I'm ready." He drew his left leg up under him at the same time he shifted his weight so that he could be on his hands and knees. He used the wall to help support his weight on his left side whilst Draya offered her hand as support for the right. He took it gently as he pulled himself up. A heart wrenching groan escaped his lips once he made it to his feet. She stood by his side and rubbed the small of his back as he let go of her hand to quickly drape his arm around her neck. He limped slowly as he used Draya and the wall to support each step.

"You did great out there tonight. You made a lot of people happy and you're doing amazing right now." Draya said as they slowly inched their way to the trainer's room. Roman remained silent as he focused on avoiding the wires and other things in the way.

"Thank you," he said as the two walked. "I'm sorry all of this is happening though. Definitely not what I had in mind." He said solemnly.

"We can take a break when we reach that door. It's about 5 feet away. You can do it." Draya tried her best to encourage Roman to keep at it.

Roman slowed to a stop as the misery spread across his face. "I can't do it. I have to stop. I'm sorry." The words stumbled together as he became too exhausted to continue. Uttering the words alone was hard enough for her to hear, let alone for him to say.

By this time, another trainer, walked up once he followed up on the message that Roman was injured.

"What's going on? They told me that you were still ringside and needed help. Once we got our gear and was about to head down, they said you were gone." Jonathan, Draya's coworker, asked.

"What's going on?" Roman repeated. "I decided to walk back here to save my family the sight of seeing me carried out on a stretcher. When I got back here, my knee gave out." He said, obviously exasperated by the entire ordeal.

"He needed a break and I'm pretty much the only thing, other than the wall, that's helping him stand. You can do me a huge solid and grab some crutches. You know, something useful rather than questioning what's already evident. Look at him. You think we're just hanging out here for fun?" Draya blurted out.

Slightly intimidated by her harsh response, Jonathan rushed to get the crutches as Roman looked down at Draya.

"Damn, remind me not to get on your bad side. You might break my other leg." He laughed weakly as he continued to lean on her for support.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I say things before my filter has time to do its job. I just don't understand why he asked such a ridiculous question." Draya replied.

Roman laughed softly to himself at her response. He took a deep breath before he tried to start up again. "We will probably make it to the room before he comes back with those crutches, "he said as he continued to limp heavily down the hall. His head lowered as his mind raced.

"I should have gotten them myself, he's wasting time." Draya added as they continued down the hall. The two made it to the locker room. "Wanna just go in here and wait?" Draya threw out as an option.

Roman nodded in agreement before shifting more of his weight on to Draya as a consequence of him no longer having the wall to balance it out. Draya guided him towards the door as she used her free hand to open the door. The two walked in while Jimmy and Jey were in the midst of packing up Roman's things.

The twins looked up with the same grave expression on their face when they saw how bad of shape Roman was in. They abruptly stopped what they were doing and rushed to assist Draya. They each draped an arm around their neck and supported Roman's weight as they helped him to a seat. He leaned back and ran his hands through his hair before he pulled it back into a bun.

Draya sprang into action by sliding down his knee pad to cut the tap off his knee. "The swelling is definitely a lot worse but I can't tell if it's bruised or anything because of your tights. We need to get you checked out. First, you need to get some looser pants on. That could help. I can go grab some ice while you, uh, navigate that whole situation." She declared.

Roman looked up at her as if she was an alien with three heads and twelve eyes. "Uh, we just made it in here. Now I have to get these off?! Please don't make me get up again." He pleased hoping there was some other way.

"Don't look at me bruh, we family and all but I am not sticking my hands anywhere near your pants. I only do that with Naomi." Jimmy said with his hands in the air.

"Can't help you big fella, that one is all you," Jey added.

Roman looked at Draya with unintentional puppy dog eyes. Draya looked away quickly trying to avoid the temptation. She looked around the rooms as she felt the pressure add on. "Fine, I'll help you out of your pants but y'all have to help me get him back near the bathroom until that idiot comes back with the crutches." She said slightly pretending to be upset about having to help him change.

Roman looked at her and let out a sigh of relief as he dreaded the thought of having his cousins see him all exposed. He shuddered at the thought before he leaned over to try and reach his bag. He grimaced slightly as he leaned forward. "Ahhh, bad idea. Bad idea!" Roman soon regretted the decision as he felt a stinging sensation on his hand. Confused, he looked up to see where it came from.

"Surprised? Don't you move, I got the bag. Tell me what you need." Draya looked at him with a giggle.

"Did you smack my hand?" he said as he giggled weakly while he rubbed the spot.

"Mhm, sure did. You hurt yourself trying to get to it. Until you get checked out, I got this stuff. So black t-shirt and sweats?" Draya asked.

"Yeah, that's cool." Roman replied as he licked his lips as he thought about being alone with Draya while she helped him change.

"Alright, you know the routine! Up on three, Jimmy and Jey got you on your sides. I got your stuff, just take my hand when you're ready to go to the back." Draya reiterated.

Roman nodded as he confirmed he was ready. He grunted as he got up again. He took Draya's hand to steady himself before draping his arm around her shoulder. She guided him to the bathroom as his cousins waited.

Jonathan knocked at the door before opening it. "Hi, Draya asked me to drop these off for Roman. Where do I put them?"

"I'll take them, thank you." Jey said as he grabbed the crutches and brought them to the bathroom door.

"Here, the crutches are outside the door." He said as he knocked on the door. Draya cracked the door open and brought them in. She shut the door at the same time as she handed them over to Roman. She quickly adjusted the height to match his.

"Better?" She asked as he took one under each arm.

"Much better. This is just a really tiny bathroom." Roman replied after a gentle chuckle. He dropped his weight on the crutches to free his hands. He used his thumbs to separate himself from his tights. He folded them down as he shimmied himself out of them. Roman moaned softly as he struggled to get them off. Draya took over as she crouched down to pull his pants down past his right knee just as he inhaled sharply.

"I'm sorry," Draya interjected. She tried to make the process as painless as possible. She looked up slowly as she bite her lower lip. "Damn,"Draya whispered as her eyes took thick, muscular frame. She was captivated by every once of his body. It glistened slightly from his hard-fought battle with The Miz. "You're too fine to be real," she said quietly before helping him step out of the pants.

"Did you say something?" Roman looked down with raised eyebrows and obvious smirk. He had heard part of what she had said and felt it was only right to tease her a bit.

"Huh, " Draya replied as she snapped out of her trance.

"Never mind- now that you can see it better, what do you think they will say?"Roman asked with concern. He was hoping that she would just say that he could do limited things in the ring. Maybe miss a few live shows, that wouldn't be too bad. He looked back down at her face. The gentle smirk faded away as she assessed his knee.

The skin was pulled right as the knee continued to swell. Compared to the other one, it had doubled in size. Bluish purple spots formed before her eyes. The redness became more evident the longer she examined it. "It's gonna be more than a few shows," she replied begrudgingly. Roman looked up in frustration as his eyes began to well. The tears streamed down his face as he tried his best not to break down. He balanced himself on the crutches as he felt like everything he had worked for was being stolen from him. He had worked so hard coming through FCW to get the attention of WWE management and now, it seems it's all been a waste of time.


	3. I Don’t Want This Night To End

Draya looked up as she made it to her feet. She wiped away Roman's tears with her thumb. She caressed his face and pulled herself in close. "Look at me, you got this. We can do this. I'll be there every single day until you are back in this ring doing what you love, you hear me? You WILL come back better and stronger than before. I will NOT let all your hard work be in vain. It starts now with getting you to an emergency room to be seen and then we go from there. You are not alone. I'm not leaving your side. Okay?" She said as she continued to wipe his face.

Roman nodded as he tried to pull himself together as much as he could. He was comforted by Draya's words and touch. He looked down with red eyes as he continued to choke back tears. "What now?" He asked as he sniffled. His voice shaking as he struggled to keep his composure.

"Now, we get you in these sweats and T-shirt. Then get you to a hospital and get a confirmed diagnosis after they do some tests. My whole night is clear so I have nothing but time to spend with you and make sure they don't mess it up. After that we can get some take out and help you plan for what lies ahead." She said as she crouched back down to help him put on the sweats.

"This entire time we were talking about this, I had completely forgotten that I didn't have any pants on. I wondered why it was so cold in here." Roman teased as he stepped into the sweats. She pulled them up past his knees as he pulled them up the rest of the way.

Draya smiled as she listened to his attempt to lighten the mood a bit. "Yeah, it's understandable." She said with a weary smile. Tonight had been longer than she had expected but very much worth it. She wouldn't have been happy doing anything else with her time. She stood and handed him a shirt to put on. "I can get you a hoodie if you'd like? It might be even colder once we reach the hospital." She said as she headed towards the door.

"I don't have one but I think they have some laying around near the merchandise stand. They'll give you one for free. I wear a 2XL. Get you one too." He said as he put on the tee.

"Okay, I'll be back." Draya said as she headed out the door. The Usos were still there packing up their things as she passed through the locker room. "He will be out soon, he's just getting a shirt on. Just listen out for him in case he's struggling or falls." The twins nodded.

Draya walked over to the merchandise stand just as it was closing down. "Can I have two hoodies, a 2XL and a small?" The worker handed her the hoodies and sent her on her way. Just as she turned around to head back to the locker room, she saw The Miz walking towards her. He smirked as he approached her with his arms crossed.

He looked down as he began,"Well, well, well. Draya, right? I don't think we've met yet. Let me start off by formally introducing myself. My name is The Miz and I'm the man that is going to take this company to the next level. You see, there's been some talk around the locker room about how I destroyed the leg of Roman Reigns with my savage assault with a steel pipe. Another bit of information floating around is that you and a certain some one have a budding romance. I hear that you are smitten with that masthead. I know news travels pretty fast around here, right? Maybe you should learn to not mix business and pleasure. Any way, I'm pretty sure you've been taking care of him all night. Thanks to me." He said with a devilish grin. "Aww, it's so sad. Just as his career was taking off, he goes down. I personally took great pleasure in seeing him writhe in pain as locked him into the Figure Four. Feeling his knee give more and more as I increased the pressure, you wanna know what really sealed the deal for me? My trusty little steel pipe. Each blow, making it even more likely that he would be on the sidelines. The Figure Four was an added bonus for me." He said coldly. "It was so thrilling to see a plan come together. Eliminating him from the picture so I can take his place as the one being groomed to step up and become the face of this business was pure brilliance on my end. I deserve to be the main attraction and NO ONE will take it away from me. I did this company a favor. I did his family the favor of not seeing their legacy burn to the ground due his lackluster wrestling and sub-par speaking abilities. I did him the favor of putting him out of his misery before the harsh reality set in that he is a disappointment to his family. He is the albatross that anchors them down. Dead weight, that they are eager to separate themselves from. You should gave seen the look of pure hatred on his mother's face as watched in in horror as he failed to make any leeway against me. I didn't give a damn about winning. It was all about securing a brighter future for the next generation of dupedsrsrs. NXT will be a better, happier, place now that those with true talent can shine. So, if you see Roman in the foreseeable future, which I can pretty much guarantee that you will. Please tell him that no matter the place or how much time passes until we cross paths again. I will, PERSONALLY, be there to ensure that he amounts to nothing more than a low level jobber that never gets anywhere near that NXT Title, let alone the main roster to protect my own spot. If he dares to try and take it from me, NOTHING AND NO ONE IS OFF-LIMITS! Yes, my dear. That includes you." He said as he stared into her eyes.

Draya looked at The Miz in disgust as the two stared each other down. "I'm not like how they portray other women around here. I'm not afraid of you or your abilities. You are a pathetic excuse for human being to deliberately injure someone for your own personal gain. Roman will be back and will deal with you himself. As far as your little threat you just made, I DARE you to try me. I will take you down and embarrass you in this company. You don't know what I know or what I am capable of. I suggest you tread lightly because I am not the one to cross. BELIEVE THAT!" She said as she intentionally bumped his shoulder as she walked away. He was knocked back slightly as he looked in her direction.

Draya headed back into the locker room as she held the two hoodies. She walked in just as Roman was walking out of the bathroom. "They had your size. Come sit and I'll hand it to you." He made it to his seat and she handed him the hoodie.

"Thanks, " he said as took it and started to pull it over his head. "I need to get my stuff together and call my family to let them know what's going on. I also have to figure out how I'm gonna get checked out. I drove Jimmy and Jey here. I'm in no shape to drive now." He said as he popped his head out through the hoodie.

"Uce, we took care of everything. Aunt Patti was freaking out but we told her you were gonna get checked out. It took a lot of convincing but she calmed down a lot. Naomi talked to everyone and made sure they got home safe." Jimmy said before being interrupted by Jey.

"We have to head out for the live show in Georgia. We will take the rental and get that all squared away. You just focus on getting checked out. Draya, will you mind making sure that he gets there?" Jey asked sincerely.

"Yeah, I will. My stuff is still packed in my car. I can take his bags and get him taken care of." Draya confirmed. The Usos grabbed their things and started to head out.

"Take care, Ro. Let us know what you find out. Draya, do you need any help getting his stuff to your ride ?" Jey asked.

"No, it's just a duffle bag and a rolling bag. I got it. We're heading out too." She said as she looked over at Roman. The worried expression on his face made it clear that the reality had set in further. "Come on, let's get you out of here." She said as she took his hand. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Thanks for looking after Ro, " Jimmy said before they headed out.

Roman took the crutches in his hands and stood up as Draya grabbed his things. She reached inside her pocket for the keys. "Take your time, I didn't park too far away." He nodded as he headed towards the door. Draya quickly headed over and held it open. He walked through as she followed closely behind. They walked through the backstage area before they reached the parking lot. Roman held his head down in embarrassment when he realized that people were starting to notice. He stopped for a moment, "In my bag, towards the bottom, there's a hat. Could you pass it to me?" He asked as he continued to look down at the concrete floor.

Draya reached in the bag and found the hat. "You know, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You're an amazing athlete and tonight just took an unfortunate turn. You finished the match and did things on your terms. Don't let these stares bring you down. You didn't let anyone down tonight. If anything, you made me prouder to be standing right here next to you." She said with a smile as she noticed he had been extremely quiet. She handed the hat over and he took it into his hand. He fumbled with it a little before placing it on his head before he started to walk again.

Draya followed as he continued in silence. Somewhat disheartened by the reaction, she thought about how she would feel if it was her facing all these unknowns. She figured that her silence may be what he needed at the time. She pressed the button on her keys to unlock the doors and pop the trunk. "It's the black Cadillac SUV on the right." She headed to the back and started to load his things in the back as he looked on.

"I'm sorry. I know you're doing your best to make this situation some what better. I feel bad for letting you down and that tonight even went like this. I keep thinking of all the things I had planned and," he said before he cut himself off. He sighed heavily as he stood there. Draya finished loading the car before she walked to his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she looked into his eyes. "It's okay." She said as she reached up as much as she could to kiss his cheek. "I'm happy to be here with you and there's nothing that can change that. Now, get in the car so we can get that knee checked out." She pleaded.

Roman carefully sat in the car as Draya placed the crutches in the back seat. He adjusted the seat for more leg room as she got in on the driver side. She started the car up and pulled out of the parking space. The bluetooth connected to her phone and the music began to play. "You can change it if you like, " she said as Luke Bryan's "I Don't Want This Night To End" began to play. "Really, Spotify! Do you have to betray me right now?" She thought to herself as she heard the lyrics. Roman looked over and smiled as he listened to the words. "No, keep it there. It's perfect," he said as he continued to smile.

Roman reached over and grabbed her free hand. He stroked the back of it before firmly taking it in his. Her fingers interlaced perfectly with his. She continued to drive as the GPS guided her to the nearest hospital. A half hour passed before they found one. She pulled up into the closest spot and turned off the car. She looked down at their hands before their eyes met. "Are you ready?"He nodded before she managed to get the last syllable out. He drew their hands up to his lips as he kissed her hand. She smiled at the sweet gesture before she opened her door. She walked to the side door and pulled out his crutches from the back set. She met him on the passenger side as he opened the door. He carefully stood to his feet before taking the crutches.

The two walked into the waiting room and signed Roman in. He wasn't there for long before he was called to the back. The doctor assessed his knee as he asked a few questions. "Did you hear a pop when it happened, " the doctor asked. "Yeah, when I was in the match. I ran towards him to take him down to the ground with a spear and it popped once I made impact. I felt unsteady when I tried to walk over to the barricade. I used it as support until it finally gave out once I got backstage." Roman replied as the whole match flashed through his mind.

The doctor performed some more tests in the exam room before he sent Roman for an Xray and MRI. After the tests were completed, Roman was sent back to the waiting area where Draya waited anxiously. "What did they say?" She blurted out. "He's waiting for the results to come back. It could take a minute to get them back." Roman replied as he sat down. He leaned forward and rested his elbow on his left knee as he sat with his right leg extended. The worry consumed them as the time trickled by. He became restless and leaned back against the chair and rested his arm on the armrest as Draya leaned against his shoulder. She nuzzled up close as she snuggled up in her hoodie. She was still freezing in the ice cold waiting room. He draped his arm around her as they continued to wait.

"Mr. Reigns, the doctor will see you now. Would you like for her to come back with you?" The medical personnel asked him.

"Yes, please. She can translate whatever he's about to tell me." He said with a smile as he made it to his feet. He walked towards the back as Draya walked closely behind. The two entered the room and sat down at the table with the doctor. The images of the MRI and the x-ray were displayed on the screen. Draya looked on silently as she waited for confirmation of what she thought she saw. She fought to keep her emotions contained but she felt the tears welling in her eyes. She knew it wasn't good. She took Roman's hand in support.

"Roman, I say this with a heavy heart. The injury you sustained tonight will require surgery before you are cleared to compete in a ring again. The injury will take 6 to 9 months for you to recover completely. That includes rehabilitation. These results are consistent with ACL and MCL tears. For athletes, we perform both of these surgeries together. As you can see here, " he said as he pointed out the MCL tear, " this is where your MCL is supposed to be attached and here is where your ACL should be. We will go in an anchor the MCL back to the bone and surgically reconstruct the ACL with a graft from another area of your leg or a cadaver. The MCL can be braced internally, which can help with stiffness and allow a small degree of movement before we start to work on rehabbing the ACL. It usually takes about 6 weeks for that MCL to heal. For right now, we can brace it to help with stability and then have you keep weight off of it until the surgery is completed. You will need crutches in the meantime and will not be cleared for any physical competition, " the doctor rambled on as Roman stared out into space. The doctor's words lingered in his mind as he tried to piece it all together. He nodded as the doctor continued to speak.

"Okay, let's get the ball rolling. I'll do whatever it takes to get it taken care of. Six to nine months is a long time to be away from the action but I need to get this done. When is the earliest I can get it done?" he asked as he continued to process everything.

"We have a spot for tomorrow at 8 am. We would just need to get the consents signed. During prep, we will review the restrictions for post op and set up rehabilitation. Let's get you braced for now and I'll also prescribe some medication to help manage the pain. You will also ice it 2-4 times a day for 20 minutes, " the doctor replied as Roman interjected. "Oh yeah, this one here definitely told me about that, " he said as he chuckled to himself.

Draya looked at Roman and laughed quietly. "I'll make sure it's done. Don't worry, Doc, " she asserted. "I've been managing it all night since it happened. He's in good hands." Roman took her hand as the doctor began, "Great! I'll get the paperwork so you can review it. We'll get everything signed and the nurse will get the brace applied. If there are any more questions, you can call me at any time, " he assured before leaving his card. Roman nodded, "Thank you." The nurse came in just as the doctor was leaving out.

"You can head back to Exam Room 2 and I'll be there with the supplies in a moment," she said as and held the door open. Roman got up and headed to the back as Draya tagged along. Roman managed to get on the table as he laid back with his arms behind his head. Draya looked on as the nurse entered the room and applied the brace. The nurse reviewed the consent forms with the Roman before he signed them. "So, I come back tomorrow, you cut me open and do your business. Then I wait a bit before I can start therapy? Got it." He said as the nurse agreed. He looked over at Draya, she looked just as worried as he felt. "I guess I can go now right?" he said as the nurse confirmed.

"Are you ready sweetheart, " he asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, I'm ready, " she replied as she walked to the door. He passed through as she joined him. They walked down the hall and through the waiting room. "Did you want to get a bite to eat? I know it's kind of late but I need somthing before midnight. " he said as he looked over at the clock as they passed. "You mentioned take out earlier, I'm down if you are." He suggested. "Yes, I am. Let's go!" She replied with a grin.

The two walked to the car as she unlocked it remotely. They entered the car and pulled off as the music continued. Roman looked out of the window as he continued to think of everything that had happened. He could have been angry at everything and pushed away one of the most wonderful people he had ever met. Without Draya's magical presence he would have never been able to make it through this. He continued to think as he glanced over at her. Even in the darkness and her trainer uniform, the pureness of her heart shined through. He felt the warmth of her presence just by being near her, not necessarily by touching her body. He was blown away by her actions tonight. His heart told him that this was an extraordinary pairing that couldn't be explained. He smiled to himself as he watched her in amazement. At one of the darkest times in his life, he just so happened to meet someone that offers so much light. Someone who was wholeheartedly willing to put herself to the side to ensure that he was taken care of. He looked at her in awe as she sang along to every song that played. She had entered her own private sanctuary without a worry in mind.

"You sound incredible, " Roman said as he broke away from his trance. Her head turned in his direction quickly as she realized that he was still there. "I'm sorry, I forgot- how long have you been listening to me- oh my gosh I'm so embarrassed," she said as pulled over and drove up to the restaurant. She shifted the gearshift to park as she sat there thinking. "Roman, I know that this is a hard time for you and I don't want this injury to make you feel like you're forced into something you're not ready for. I know we just met today and now all of this is happening but I don't want you to mistake my actions. I did this because I genuinely cared about your well being. I'm not one of those girls that goes around just going from guy to guy. I'm looking for commitment and for someone to reciprocate my love in every way. I tend to love hard and I don't want to open myself up, just to get hurt yet again. The last man I trusted my heart to abused my love and pushed me so far outside of my element that I lost myself. I've been broken and abused far too many times to allow someone to come in and play with my heart. I know you said you're ready but are you truly?" she questioned as she looked down at her hands. She anxiously awaited his answer, fearing her little spiel would chase him away.

Roman saw her anxiety kick in as she began to pick at the sliver of skin on her thumb. He reached over and took her hand in his as he gently turned her face towards his. His sincere eyes looked into hers. He felt as if he had gained a peek into her soul. He saw someone who was in turmoil emotionally. He saw the past hurt and insecurity as tears streamed down her face. He felt the fear radiate off her as her walls came crumbling down.

"This moment right here is the last day you will ever feel like this. When I say that I am ready to love you the way you deserve to be loved, I am. I wouldn't have told you that if I wasn't. I am not here to waste your time. I am here to share it with you for as long as I am able. I am not here to abuse you physically, mentally, or emotionally. I am not here to belittle but to build you up. I am here to protect, honor, and cherish you. I am ready to learn who you are and encourage you to grow. I have already known you were different from the moment I laid eyes on you. I am attracted to you for more reasons than your appearance. I am intrigued by your existence. You have pushed me to stay strong in more ways than you can understand. I don't want to lose you. You impacted my life since the moment you took my arm and promised to be there no matter what. Do me the honor of letting me prove, for as long as you allow me to, just how strongly I feel about you." He brought her face closer to his lips as he kissed her soft lips. He pulled back as he licked his lips to savor the sweet flavors of her skin. He lifted his hand to push her hair back as he smiled.

Draya's nerves calmed as she felt comfort in his words. Her eyes welled in response to his words. "I trust you, " she said as her voice quivered. She blinked back tears and he used his thumb to wipe them each away. "I ask that you let me do you the same favor?" she asked sweetly. He nodded and smiled as he brushed his thumb against the back of her hand.

"I guess, in this strange turn of events, I owe The Miz a thank you card, " he said jokingly. "Thank you, for using a steel pipe and a crippling Figure Four to allow me to find the right person. If I had never entered her training room, who knows where we would be. Sincerely, Roman" he said in a playful tone. Draya looked at him and laughed uncontrollably. " I don't think Hallmark makes a card for this occasion. However, Naomi did play a huge role in this so I think she could get a nice edible arrangement. Let's go get take out and go back to the hotel, " she suggested.

"Uhhh, I would love to join you in there but you see how my leg is currently set up, it has a brace and I have to use crutches. It'll take 5- 10 minutes for me to get situated- I'm just gonna stay here," he said as he decided to remain put. Draya looked over and smiled as she agreed, "yeah, I'll just go order. I'll be back with the food." She went inside and ordered the food. She looked down at her phone as she waited. She checked her messages to find that Naomi had texted her.

 **Naomi** : How did it go? Did he go get checked out? No one's heard from him since Jimmy and Jey left the arena.

 **Draya** : We stopped to get something to eat. His phone is in his bag. He got checked out and he needs surgery. Don't mention it to anyone. We went to get food because, well, we were both starving. We're headed to a hotel to eat. I got more deets to share but we will talk later.

Draya saw the instant bubbles appear on her screen. If she knew Naomi the way she thought she did, she knew she was probably hollering at the top of her lungs with excitement.

 **Naomi** : Okay, keep me in the loop. I won't tell Jimmy but promise you'll fill me in soon!

 **Draya** : Promise!

Draya walked up once she heard her name called to pick up the order. She headed back to the car with their food. She placed it in the back seat on the floor as she closed the door before opening the driver's side door. "You should call your family. Naomi said they have been trying to call. What bag is your phone in?" she asked. "It's in the duffle bag in the side pocket." He replied as he closed his eyes. Draya went to the back and retrieved the phone from his bag. She glanced at the screen and saw several missed calls and texts.

"Here, you might want to start calling people back. You have quite a few alerts. It's actually buzzing now." She said in the midst of handing him the phone. Roman looked down at the screen and saw that it was his mom. He answered the phone, dreading the fact he had to tell his mom the news. "Yes, I'm okay. I have to have surgery Friday. Ye- yes, I know I should- I'm sorry. Okay, I'll let you know when- I love you too and yes, I'll tell dad. Mom, I'm with her now," he said as he put the phone to his chest. "I'm sorry, she said hi," he said before he mouthed "help me". Draya looked over with wide eyes, "how, can I help?" He shrugged before he thought of the perfect solution. He lowered his voice as if he was really sleepy and made it slightly hoarse. "Mom, I gotta- I gotta go. I'm really tired, the pain meds are kicking in. I'm just gonna go to sleep once I get to the hotel." He said with a charming wink. "I'll call you later, love you too."

Draya looked on as she was somewhat turned on by his "sleepy" voice. "Control yourself, woman!"she thought to herself as she turned the air up a notch. He laughed at her sudden action before she pulled out of the space. Once they left the restaurant, they drove until they reached a stop light several blocks down the road. She slowed to a stop as she peered over at Roman. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he was being lulled to sleep by the gentle movements of the car. "Are you okay over there? You're awfully quiet. Is the pain getting worse?" She asked as she rubbed his shoulder softly. He nodded, " I took a pain pill while you were in the restaurant hoping it would kick in fast. It's actually just making me really sleepy. That was a big mistake. I still have to get to the hotel room." He replied,"I'm good. The sleepy feeling won't last long. I'll perk up soon." He assured as he pulled the hood up over his hat. He leaned his head against the window as she continued to drive.

About 30 minutes later, the car pulled to a stop outside the hotel. Draya cut the engine off and turned off the lights. She gently tapped Roman on his shoulder as he was still asleep in the passenger seat. "Roman, we're here sweetie. Wake up." He took a deep breath as he moaned. He opened his eyes still foggy due to the medicine. "Is the food okay? Where are we?" He said as he tried to make himself wake up. "The food is safe in the back with your crutches. We're at the hotel. Don't worry about your bags, I'll get them. I'll let you in and put the food down before I come back and get our stuff. "She grabbed her backpack and tossed it on her back.

Roman was fully awake but in no shape to help with the luggage. He opened the door as he cautiously stood to his feet. He was unsteady as he held on to the car for support. He hopped to the back seat and pulled out his crutches to lessen the burden on Draya. He rested there as he waited for her to lead the way before he offered "I can take the food up. I'll just stick my hand through the opening. I'll be okay. The bigger bags would be harder."

"Okay, just be careful and take your time," Draya instructed as she passed him the bag of food. He started to make his way towards the sidewalk as Draya grabbed the rest of things from the SUV. She walked over and led the way to the hotel room. She caught a glimpse of Roman to make sure he was okay. The two soon made it to the room as Draya pulled out the key. She put it in the door and allowed Roman to enter first. He walked through the door and placed the food on the counter before he headed to the couch. He laid down, exhausted from everything that happened today. Draya closed the door and placed the bags in the bedroom. She came back out with a large pillow from the bed as she walked over to Roman. She carefully placed it under his knee as he let out a slight groan. "How are you feeling? Are you still hungry?" She said as she gently kissed his lips.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. It's been a super long day. Pretty sore too." His heavy eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay awake.

"I'll fix you a plate and get you some ice to help the pain. I'll bring some blankets over so you can get comfortable. Maybe put a movie on, " she offered as she walked over to the kitchen.

"That would be perfect right about now but what would make it even better is if you joined me right here while we watched the movie, " he said as he patted the spot next to him on the couch.

She looked over and replied, "I don't think there's enough room over there for the both of us. We might have to go in the bedroom if you want me to join you. It'll give you more room to keep your leg elevated while you rest." He nodded in agreement as he slowly got off the couch. He grabbed his newfound friends and walked over to the bathroom. "I'll shower while you do your thing."

Roman disappeared into other room to use the shower while she continued to get the food and bedroom set up for the movie. She used the other bathroom to freshen up a bit and get on some more clothes. She came out with a large t-shirt and damp hair pulled up into a bun with a fresh face. She put on her glasses now that her contacts were out so she could enjoy the movie. She listened out for Roman as she began to eat the spicy chicken and rice that she ordered from the Chinese restaurant.

Roman emerged from the bathroom with his hair cascading past his shoulders. His cologne filled the room as he entered in a grey t-shirt and matching sweats. He used the crutches to keep the weight off his knee until he made it to the bed. His sad eyes looked over at Draya.

"Help me, please. I couldn't get the stupid thing back on. I got frustrated and chunked it at the wall. Then realized I couldn't reach it before coming back out here, " he admitted.

Draya playfully rolled her eyes as she set her food down. She walked into the bathroom and brought his brace back out to him. She tapped the pillow and had him rest his knee there as she put it back on for him. He winced when she secured it in place. She helped him get the sock on for his right foot and placed the large bag of ice over his knee. She walked over to her side of the bed and handed him his order before she continued to eat. She scrolled through the movies with the remote and couldn't find anything good. "All that's on is Disney movies. I guess they have Tarzan and The Lion King, " she said as she laughed. He looked up from his food and looked at the options. "Game of Thrones! It's on right there! We can watch that."He said as his entire face lit up in excitement. She agreed and they continued to eat as they watched the episode.

Draya grabbed their trash and took it to the kitchen. She came back as Roman continued to watch the episode, hooked on every word. She crawled into bed next to him as he draped his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest as she joined him. The two finished the episode just as they were both ready to call it a night. They got up and brushed their teeth before they climbed back in bed. She snuggled up close and laid in his arms.

"Thank you so much for all you've done to make sure that I got the help I needed. You were my rock today and given all that has happened today, I'm happy to lay here beside you. Tonight ended the better than I could have ever imagined." He said as he looked up at the ceiling.

Draya sat up and removed her glasses. She placed them gently on the nightstand before placing her head back on his chest. "It's my pleasure. We didn't make it to Nick's but I think this is the best first date I've ever had. You have been amazing all day." She smiled as she finished her sentence. As they continued to lay there, they drifted to sleep while laying in each other's arms. Sometimes the most magical nights are rooted in pure innocence.


	4. Recovery

Roman woke up around 5 am the next morning, the anxiety built up as the time trickled by. His thoughts raced as he tried to distract himself from the thought of having surgery. It was the first time in a long time he felt this vulnerable, physically and emotionally. He glanced over at Draya to see if she was awake.

"What's on your mind?" Draya asked with closed eyes. She felt him looking at her and knew he really needed to talk. She sat up and wiped her eyes. She smiled as she opened her eyes and saw him laying there, no matter how blurry he was. She squinted slightly as she looked at his face. She stroked it slightly to comfort him.

Roman shifted in bed as he placed his head in her lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid there. Draya began stroking his hair in silence. The gesture spoke volumes. His troubled mind was searching for peace and he found it in her arms. He couldn't express exactly how he felt. Draya felt his grasp tighten around her as she continued to stroke his hair.

"It's okay," Draya said as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. "It's a scary time and we will get through it. No matter what, I'm not leaving you to go through it alone." She assured as she continued running her hand through his hair. He nodded as he felt the anxiety calm down. He gently closed his eyes just as she asked," How's the pain?"

"It's pretty up there right now. I just don't want to get up. I'm comfortable for the most part and don't want to disturb that delicate balance just yet." He said confidently as he continued to lay perfectly still. Draya rolled her eyes playfully as she attempted to get up. Suddenly, she felt his muscles tighten to hold her there. His eyes opened as he looked up at her. "No! You're going to upset the balance! It's perfect. Just like this. Just do that thing you were doing to my head. It was working!"

"What thing, this thing?" Draya asked as she began to run her hands through his hair. His eyelids became heavy as she started. He nodded. "Don't stop. It feels really good. I'll be back out in a few minutes. When did you want to leave? They said 8 am, it's 5 something now, right?" He said as his voice became weaker as he continued to fall asleep.

"Yeah, it's 5:46 in the morning. We still need to get food, shower, and have enough time to get to the hospital for pre op stuff. You did the consent but they have to get you ready." She said as she continued to massage his head. "We will have to get up soon."

"Damn it, you're right. Okay, a few more minutes then we can get up. It feels so good right here. This bed, you doing that, and us just talking." He said as he started to trail off. His words grew quieter before he eventually fell asleep. She continued a little bit more before calling room service to bring up breakfast. Once he was in a deeper sleep, she carefully tried to pull away to let them in. Draya put her glasses on and got their breakfast from room service. She arranged the amazing breakfast on the table in the kitchen before quickly writing a little note for Roman to find.

Draya showered and got dressed. She put on a fitted black tee with matching leggings. She wore black Nike Roshi Runs with a cap. Her hair was pulled into a big curly messy bun and she kept her glasses on. Her face was clean and fresh. She didn't feel in the mood to pile on makeup. She carefully crawled into the bed and gently called Roman's name. "Roman, come on sweetie. You're breakfast is on the table." She gently kissed his forehead as he slowly woke up. "You don't want to be late." She said as she felt his thick, muscular arms pull her down to the bed. "Roman! I just showered!" She said as she laughed hysterically.

"I don't care, you do smell incredible though." Roman said as he tickled her. He continued before you had time to think about his knee. He slowed to a stop as before giving up. "Okay, okay. I'll stop only because well, I was hurting myself in the process. I'm okay. Can you bring the crutches over here? I don't know what I'm gonna do when you're back on the road and I'm here."

"What do you mean? How many times have I said I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going on the road for at least a couple of weeks. We will be at Full Sail for a few weeks before we do a small tour. All the towns aren't that far from here,"Draya stated. "I won't be more than an hour away even when we start going on the road. For now, you're stuck with me." She teased as she felt his chest against her back. She got up and got the crutches as he sat up in bed. He let his hair down and it fell past his shoulders. He smiled as he stood, holding her close.

Draya looked up at Roman as she helped him balance himself before taking the crutches. "Join me in the kitchen for break- Damn it, I just remembered that you can't have it. I ordered it and forgot you can't eat until after surgery." She said as she looked down with a bit of disappointment before he pressed his lips to hers.

"It's okay, the thought is what counts. Plus, you still need to eat. Why don't you go eat and I'll go take my shower. I'll get dressed and then we will get ready to go?" Roman said as he caressed her face softly. "That way you're all full while you're waiting for me. I'm gonna take a while to get ready any way. Enjoy it, it smells almost as irresistible as you look." He said with a smirk as he kissed her on the top of her head. He walked to the bathroom and cut the water on. Draya went to the kitchen and ate while she waited before she started to take their bags back down stairs to the SUV.

Roman finished his shower and walked out in black sweats paired with a white tee. He glanced into the kitchen to look for Draya. He walked over to find her note which said:

Roman,

You're gonna do amazing today! It'll be a long journey back but you can do it! Once surgery is over, lunch is on me! Keep pushing!

A large smile spread across his face as he read it once more. Draya came in through the door as he stood there. "Are you ready?" He looked back and nodded. "Thank you so much, I read your little note and I truly appreciate you."

"Well, you're welcome. Now let's get you to the car and get this show on the road.

I have the car loaded up already," she said as he made his way to the door. He walked to the car as Draya unlocked it remotely. They got in and Draya pulled out of the spot. She merged into traffic just as he held her free hand. Draya smiled as she continued to drive.

Once the two made it to the hospital, the entire mood shifted. The previous laughter and jokes were replaced by silence. The music played quietly in the background. Roman grasped her hand tighter as the anxiety crept up. The two sat in the car until he was ready to go in. He pulled away softly and put his hair up in a bun before Draya helped him out of the car. She followed behind proudly as the two entirely the hospital. He checked in and headed to the back to prepare. Draya waited in the waiting room anxiously. The nurse called her to the back once Roman was ready for surgery. She entered the room and saw him laying there with his right knee exposed. It had been marked by the doctor already and he was just waiting for them to wheel him back. She leaned over the side rail and kissed his lips one last time before he held her hand.

"Time to get this shit over with so I can get back to you. It's all your fault," he nodded as he looked at her in her eyes, "you did this, you made me realize how hungry I really was with that sweet smell of breakfast food now all I am thinking of is bacon and pancakes. The shame, Draya! The shame! Whenever I wake up from this, I want that and maybe a burger but mostly breakfast." He said playfully as his eyes became slightly heavy. He was trying to fight sleep with humorous remarks and was obviously losing. The techs came and wheeled him to the operations room.

"I'll get your breakfast for you while I wait. I won't go too far. I'll be waiting for you when you wake up. It'll all be just fine! She said as she looked down at him. He grabbed her hand and softly kissed it. "Okay, I'll look for you. Thank you, for everything," he said as they continued to wheel him to the back. Draya walked to the waiting room to wait for him to return. She wasn't sure of what exactly to do so she called Naomi to pass the time.

When Naomi picked up, the excitement in her voice was undeniable. "GIRL! What's the tea?! You left me hanging last night. How's it going with Roman? What did y'all do?!" she asked emphatically.

Draya rolled her eyes as she continued. "Well, we had Chinese takeout and we talked a lot in the car about where we are going. I think we're headed towards building a really good relationship. He's in surgery now, I already snuck a call to the bosses and I'm going to take time off to help him. They're gonna work it out to where I can work shows close to here and not got to the tours. Hopefully, Roman will feel comfortable to come to a show one day and hang out with me."

"AWWEE!!! That's SO CUTE!!! Y'all are going to be perfect for each other. Look at you being all sweet and caring. He's a good guy. You'll be happy with him. He went through a lot with his last girlfriend and has come so far. He's a better man now than he was after she was done with him. Everybody was happy when they broke up." Naomi said.

The two continued to talk as the minutes turned into an hour and a half. The conversation was the perfect distraction from Roman's surgery. As the two continued to talk, she went to the cafeteria for her much-needed cup of coffee. She waited patiently for a few minutes as they prepared Roman's breakfast that she promised him. The plate was fit for a king. It was stacked with an omelette, hash browns, waffles with syrup, and a small fruit plate. It also came with a bottle of orange juice. She smiled as she knew he would probably be more excited to see the food than her.

Draya walked back to the waiting room. The nurse saw her headed towards a seat before she stopped her and provided an update. "Are you here for Mr. Reigns?" she said as she peered over the table at Draya. Draya turned around and quickly replied, "did something happen? Is he okay?!" Draya's heart dropped slightly as she waited for the nurse's reply. "I'm sorry to startle you, they are about to take him to the recovery room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor and he should be in 3012. It's straight ahead at the end of the hall once you get there. They are about to head out now. You'll be able to catch him before he's fully awake." Draya breathes a sigh of relief once she realized that he was okay.

"Thank you!" Draya replied with a huge smile as she headed towards the elevator. She eagerly pressed the button as she waited for what seemed like an eternity. Thoughts raced through her mind as she thought of what he must be feeling. She hoped that the breakfast would be enough to cheer him up. The elevator finally came. She entered as the doors slid open. As the doors closed, she stood finished her conversation with Naomi. The doors opened and she started walking towards the end of the hall. She looked at each number as she came close to his.

Draya stopped at 3012 and looked down the frigid hallway before taking a deep breath. She attempted to gather herself before walking inside. The room was dark and cold. She looked around before she found a small table next to the bed. She placed his breakfast on the table as she sat down in the chair by his side. The techs had just brought him in through the door. Roman was still sleeping soundly as she gently leaned over to kiss his forehead. She shifted in the seat while she waited for him to wake up.

An hour later, Roman began to open his eyes. He looked around the blurry room as he tried to figure out what was happening. He blinked a few more times before he felt himself become more awake. His heavy eyelids struggled to stay open as he fought the effects of the medication. One name kept coming into his head as he looked around the room before he saw her face. He smiled as he began to recognize the face smiling back at him. "Hi, sweetheart, " he said with a slightly hoarse voice. "I'm glad to see you here. Shouldn't you be at the show with my cousins?" he said as his words slurred together.

Draya looked up and leaned forward once she heard his voice. It was still deep and dry from his heavy sleep. She took his hand briefly before she began, "I got you some breakfast. I figured you'd be hungry and need a meal. Don't worry about the show. It'll go smoothly, it's more important for me to be with you right now. You just had surgery on your knee and need to take it easy." Roman nodded as he acknowledged what was said.

"You're really pretty, you know. I don't remember what I did to that was so good to deserve waking up to a beautiful woman like you but, damn, it must have been good. You knew I was hungry before I knew I was hungry. That's love right there. You are absolutely the one. We're gonna get married one day." Roman said as his eyes began to close. "Slide the plate over here, pretty lady," he said as the table came closer. He took a strip of bacon and chewed on it as he drifted back to sleep. "Mhmm, bacon!" he said as he continued to chew. Draya tapped him gently on the arm to take him up.

"Roman, you cant sleep and eat sweetie, you have to stay awake to eat. I can keep it for you and you can eat when I take you home." Draya said in a concerned tone. She didn't want to give him another reason to be in the hospital. He opened his eyes wider and sat up slightly in bed. "Be careful, here we can sit you up like this," she said as she pressed the button to lift the head of the bed. He ran his hand over his face and took a deep cleansing breath. It appeared as if the high was wearing off a little bit. He brought the table closer to taking a bite of food. "This is awesome! You are the best," he said as he continued eating. Soon, every bit of food was gone. Once he finished, he patted his stomach with satisfaction. He lowered the head of the head a bit before settling in. The nurse came in to review some post-op restrictions.

" For the first two weeks, the pain and swelling is the worst. Continue using ice to manage the swelling and you were also prescribed pain meds. The brace stays locked for the first 4 weeks and then you'll start being able to work on getting your range of motion back." the nurse continued on, mostly talking to Draya as Roman knocked out once again. The nurse gave it her best effort but the medicine was just stronger. Roman woke up towards the end of her spiel and looked up at Draya. "Babygirl did she say when we can get out of here?" Draya blushed as soon as she heard "baby girl". Her entire body felt warm inside as the fine hairs stood at attention. She looked down and saw goose bumps before she gathered herself. "Uh, no she didn't. I'll ask her okay. Ma'am, when can he go home?" she asked.

"He just has to sign here and we can complete the discharge. Is he going to have someone stay with him? The first week or so, it's preferred that someone is with the patient, just as an added safety measure, "she said as she filled out the paperwork and highlighted the areas that needed to be signed.

Draya glanced at Roman, who was already back asleep before she could finish the question. "He'll be staying with me. I'll make sure he's okay." She smiled as she finished the statement. The nurse finished the paperwork and Draya carefully woke Roman up, yet again to sign the papers. "Come on, Roman. I'm sorry to wake you sweetie but you need to sign this before we can go home." She said as she rubbed his hand sweetly. He woke up suddenly, "Draya, hand me that water over there. I'll sign baby, I just feel really tired. Did she tell you everything? Am I signing my life away?" He asked as she handed him the water.

"Yeah, she told me everything. No, you're not signing your life away. It's just the discharge paperwork and your prescriptions. You have homework too. These are all the exercises you can do as of right now to keep you knee safe. This is the timeline and the restrictions that you're in until you start healing up. You'll stay with me in my condo if you'd like, or you can go back to your place." She said as she secretly hoped that their time together wouldn't end.

"My mom is headed out of town on vacation, my cousins are on the road, my siblings are all busy with work so I don't really have anyone to stay with me. I appreciate your offer. I'll take it. Thank you, baby girl." Roman said as he signed the discharge papers.

"I'll get a wheelchair and you can get taken down. It'll be about 30-45 minutes if you don't mind. In the meantime, I can take out your IV." The nurse said as she signed the paperwork. She walked over and carefully began to remove the Tegaderm that was protecting the IV site. She pulled it out and held pressure just as he drifted off to sleep. "That 30-45 minutes will give the anesthesia time to wear off some more before he leaves, gives him time to wake up a bit more. He has some supplies that will be waiting in the pharmacy, bring him back in two days and we change the dressing. We will also go over the things he can do at home to help his recovery, " the nurse reiterated as Draya nodded in agreement.

Roman continued to sleep off the anesthesia as Draya gathered his things. About an hour later, a low groan escaped his lips as the pain began to kick in. His face wrinkled in anguish as he began to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Draya in the far corner. "Draya, when did she say they were coming?" He looked up at the clock and saw that it was close to noon. "I've been sleeping forever and still feel exhausted. I don't like this shit. I can't seem to get energy, " he said with an angry tone.

"Shh, it's okay. It's understandable, last night was rough. I felt you shift around quite a bit so I know you didn't get to sleep that well. Plus, you just had surgery. That's exhausting within itself. You're going to be fine baby, just relax." Draya reassured him. She grabbed a shirt and sweats for him to put on along with socks and slides. She was hoping to make the process as easy as possible. "I'll help you get dressed while we wait for your wheels, " she offered as she walked over to him.

Roman obliged as he used the side rail to support him as he sat up. He anticipated the pain being a bitch but just didn't know how grand of a bitch it would be. The pain coursed through his knee so much so that he laid back as shook his head. "I can't do it like that. Oooh shit, I- that was painful," he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

Draya stood over him as she began to encourage him to try again, " this is the first obstacle that you will deal with concerning this injury but you've faced so many and was triumphant. You beat The Miz basically on one leg. You WALKED out of that match on your own two feet. You CAN do this. I got you. Just try one more time and I promise it'll be worth it, " she said as she thought of something to motivate Roman. "There's a kiss waiting after each successful attempt, " she said as she smiled. The contagious smile caused him to smile.

"I do like the sound of that. Bring that sexy ass over here, I'm gonna make it out of this bed, " Roman stated as he began to sit up. He looked Draya in the eyes as he waited for his kiss. "That's one, " he said as he offered his cheek to her for the kiss. Her sweet lips touched his skin and sent chills down his spine. "Damn, those really do make it worth it, " he said as he pulled the sheets back and saw his heavily bandaged knee with the black brace for added support. Draya untied the gown and unsnapped the sleeves before she handed him a shirt. He slid it on over his head and put his arms through before pulling it down to his waist. Draya carefully slid the larger sweatpants over the brace as put his other leg through the pants leg.

"Alright, I'll help you stand up and pull your pants on. I'll take it off the pillow and help you stand okay?" she asked before they continued. He nodded as she lowered the leg to the floor then put his socks on for him. He grimaced throughout the transition and was rewarded with a break. He took a deep breath as he stood up. He hopped a little as he pulled his pants up. He held onto Draya as he felt himself become unsteady. He grabbed her by the waist and held her close as he buried his face into her neck. He inhaled deeply as he felt her kiss his shoulder. He continued to hold her as she pulled back a little to see his face. They leaned in together and kissed each other's lips. The passion flowed from their souls as he forgot pain was even an issue. Nothing else existed as the kiss removed every negative emotion. The nurse walked in as they pulled back from each other and stared into each other's eyes.

"Are you ready?" The nurse said before she realized what was going on. "I guess I can, uh, come back when you're-" she cleared her throat to acknowledge the awkward situation before Roman interjected. "No, don't go. I'm ready," he said as he looked back at her. Draya handed him the crutches as she looked for his shoes. She placed the slides down in front of him before he stepped in. She fixed the right one before he took the crutches under the arm and headed towards the wheelchair. He sat down slowly as Draya helped extend his leg. She gathered his bags and held the crutches as they embarked on this new phase together.

Yes, this was the beginning of Roman's road to recovery but maybe this was also a new journey they were meant to take together to discover a new aspect of themselves that they had never seen before. They both claimed to be healed from past relationships, this would be the true test of just how ready they were. They had allowed a little of their heartbreak become known but hadn't really come clean as to what happened that had damaged. Is it really necessary in a new relationship to disclose past pain in full detail? The road was a scary one but at least they will be able to travel it together, no matter one comes their way.


	5. Body Like A Back Road

Roman and Draya made their way through the hallways of the hospital and picked up his medication from the pharmacy before leaving through the doors of the hospital. Draya pulled the car around to the front after she loaded his things in the trunk. Roman stretched out in the back seat and leaned his head against the window. The ordeal had drained a lot of energy out of him and really all he wanted was to find the nearest bed and crash. His heart wouldn't let him, It fluttered at the thought of finally being alone with Draya. She came over to the other side of the back seat and offered a pillow to prop his leg on for the ride home.

"I just figured that it would ease some of the tension. It's not going to be the smoothest ride to my condo." She said as she carefully slid the pillow under his knee. He reached over and placed his hand sweetly on hers.

"Thank you, sweetie, it already feels a lot better," he said as he bit his lower lip before smiling. She looked up and a huge smile spread across her face. She leaned in as he drew in closer. Being mindful of his knee, she held her finger up to his lips before she pulled back. She shut the door and walked over to the other side to open the door. She gently turned his face towards her as she used the handle to pull herself up onto the edge. The two kissed passionately before she pulled away.

"We gotta get going, I have a whole season of Game of Thrones and snacks waiting for us back at my place," Draya said as she closed the door to the backseat. She quickly went over to the driver seat. She started the car before shifting into reverse. She looked back as Roman looked on, still flushed as be thought of how lucky he was. He leaned back against the door and window as Draya drove. Draya thought about everything that she was feeling.

"Am I rushing things too fast? Am I overdoing it? Something tells me that he's everything I never knew I needed. His heart speaks to me in ways I've never felt before. I don't want to rush into anything too quickly. I never felt this complete in any other relationship. Is this even a relationship? Did I make a mistake of inviting him to stay with me?" The thoughts continued to race through her mind as Roman broke the silence in the car.

Roman and Draya made eye contact through the rearview mirror. "I know that our first date didn't amount to much. It wasn't what you deserve. You are worth much more than Chinese takeout, Game of Thrones reruns, and a dude with a bum knee but you took a chance. You see something in me that proves that I'm worthy of your time and since the moment that I laid eyes on you, you've done nothing but go above and beyond to make sure that I am okay. You have cleared your entire schedule to take care of me just on a hunch that this may be something worth pursuing. This has been the most nontraditional start to a relationship that I've ever seen but I can see you have your doubts. Maybe I can clear some of those up for you, Draya, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend? I see my future in your beautiful eyes and I can't let that pass me by. It may see to others like we're rushing but I see it as dating intentionally. We won't get everything right but us together, I see no wrong. You're everything I never knew I needed until this moment." he said as he continued to look at her from the back seat. Draya looked down at the road before pulling onto the shoulder lane. She parked the car as she looked back at Roman. She tried her best to hide her tears but fought a losing battle.

"Can you read minds or was it that obvious what I am thinking? I never felt feelings as strongly as I do now. There's an electric energy here that draws me to you and I can't break it. I'm scared of my feelings but what you just said offers so much clarity. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," she said as a large smile appeared on her face.

"It was just a feeling, I couldn't help it. It was something I wanted to ask you in the parking lot right after you said hello, " he said as he grinned. He blushed slightly as he looked at her. "Come on, Game of Thrones awaits us, " he reminded her before he leaned his head back against the window. Draya turned the car back on and drove home. They pulled up to the condo just as the pain peaked for Roman. His jaw clenched as he breathed heavily. He sat there for a moment whilst Draya parked. She got out and opened the door opposite of Roman. She looked at the anguish on his face as he slid forward. She grabbed his crutches and handed them to him. He took them as he stood, bearing no weight on his right leg.

Draya closed the door and headed for the front door. She opened the door before he walked through it. He looked around briefly at the cozy, modernized home. He stood in the middle of the room as he thought of where he could make it to. "Where do you feel comfortable with me being?" he asked Draya.

"The bedroom is better. The couch is too small for you to be comfortable. One injury is enough for you right now. It's the last door on the left. Go ahead and settle in while I bring in the stuff from the car. You have a fancy ice machine in there I want to play around with." She said unable to contain the excitement in her voice. Roman chuckled to himself as he shook his head. He went towards her bedroom and managed to get somewhat comfortable. The pain became increasingly bothersome as he laid there. A few moments later, Draya appeared with the supplies and his medicine. She handed the little to him with a water bottle before she sat down on the floor beside the boxes she got out the car. He looked down and saw letters he wasn't familiar with. Draya pulled the contraption out of the box and his eyes widened with concern as he was uncertain what the machine would do.

"Draya, what is that? It looks like a small torture chamber. Am I really supposed to use it?" Roman asked as he sipped the water. "So, this bad boy is a continuous passive motion machine. For some, it does seem like torture cause it slowly bends and straightens your knee to help manage swelling, stiffness, and pain. That being said, it will still hurt a lot so be warned. It's set at a specific degree and you work your way up. For you, they said you can do it for 30 degrees for 8 hours a day. I'll give you a break to ice it and then we start back up with it. I feel like you're gonna hate me but I'll be here with you." She said as she set up the machine in the bed. She carefully removed his brace and placed his leg onto the machine while he laid back, still very uncertain of what was about to transpire. She gave the medicine some time to kick in before she turned the machine on. She removed her shoes and climbed into bed next to him as it began to do its job.

The next few hours were rough on Roman as he continued to use the machine that unlocked his own personal hell. Through the drug-induced haze, Roman still felt every once of the pain being inflicted by this machine. His pride would not let him show the pain in front of Draya. She tried her best to comfort him whilst he remained tense. She held his hand and stroked it softly with her thumb. He pulled her in close as he endured the pain. "Maybe I can hook the ice machine up to your knee while it's on that thing to help the pain." She said as she started to get up. He looked up towards the ceiling and mouthed, "THANK GOD" whilst her back was turned. She sat down on the floor next to box before opening it and applying it to his knee. She plugged it in and the first hint of cold caused a soft groan to escape his lips due to the initial shock. He relaxed as the ice worked its magic. She climbed back in bed and settled in next to him as he took her in his arms. He kissed her forehead as they watched Game of Thrones before they drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, their phones were blowing up. The constant buzzing woke Draya up. She adjusted her glasses and went to see what the commotion was. She looked at her notifications to see several mentions from her twitter feed and a few missed calls from Naomi. Another notification was from WWE, she clicked the notice as it read, "The Miz has harsh words in response to his last encounter with Roman Reigns". She clicked the link to see what the fuss was about.

The Miz appeared in the middle of the ring,running his mouth as usual. "Welcome to the most must-see

wrestling talk show in WWE History, WELCOME TO MIZ TV, hosted by the new face of WWE. You've guessed it, THE MIZ!" he said as he introduced his segment. "I have an inside scoop from a very reliable source regarded your golden boy, Roman Reigns. You see last night, my highly effective plan of single-handedly ending the career of Roman Reigns was carried out without a single hiccup. I'm quite sure you've seen the footage but for those who hadn't, I direct your attention to the nearest monitor, " said as the footage played. "Look at my handiwork, I physically debilitated Roman Reigns in front of the entire world. Who cares about the thrill of a win? You know what's better than the feeling of scoring a pinfall? The feeling of ligaments being torn from the bone and hearing the ligament snap under the tension of a figure four leg lock or better yet the disappointment in the eyes of his family ringside as they watched him struggle to the back because his pride wouldn't let him be helped back. Oh, bravo! Bravo, we demand an encore of this stellar performance! It's more entertaining than most of the promos you've cut this entire year. Here's the thing though, Roman was scheduled to appear tonight. But no one's seen him, I wonder why that is? Hmmm, perhaps it's related to the fact that Roman underwent surgery for a torn MCL and ACL injury today. That could also be a reason why someone else is missing backstage as well. There's no logical reason that Draya would not be here tonight except- anywho, I digress. Yes, Roman Reigns has been sidelined indefinitely. That's right folks, that means I have created my own opportunity to take my rightful place as the NEW face of WWE. For those who didn't know, Roman was on his way to challenging for the NXT Championship pretty soon and now that he's out of the picture, WWE rewarded me with the opportunity to replace him in the running as we enter a tournament to determine the number one contender. One day after taking him out, I'm already reaping the benefits!" he said as he smirked while staring into the camera. The camera zoomed out to plan the vocal audience. The arena filled with boos as the crowd realized that Roman would not be competing any time soon.

Draya stepped out as Roman continued to sleep and called Naomi back. After the second ring, Naomi picked up. "GIRL! Did you watch it? You're trending on Twitter. #WhoIsDraya is the 3rd most trending hashtag! People are desperately trying to figure out who you are. I hope they don't go too crazy. You know how those internet fans can be, " Naomi teased.

"Roman is going to flip when he sees this. I don't know how he found out. No one knows anything at this point, at least no one outside of management. Maybe it's all apart of the storyline. I don't know but now I'm actually his girlfriend. I've never dated a wrestler before." Draya said before Naomi's scream radiated through the phone.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?! What did you- how does Miz - rewind and start from the beginning!!!" Naomi exclaimed. Draya proceeded to tell her the details of her encounter with The Miz and what had happened after Roman's surgery. "You ain't say nothing! Girl, that's the things y'all need to tell me! Look at you, you secured the man in a matter of 2 days. I knew y'all would be perfect. Just stay cool and levelheaded. Right now there will be a buzz but it will die down. It'll be okay. Go ahead and get back to him. I'll let the fam know he's being well taken care of. " Naomi said before hanging up.

Draya looked back at Roman who was just waking up. "D, what's up? What's all the buzzing for?" He said as he breathed heavily before sitting up in bed. Draya crawled back into bed with her phone in her hand. She curled up under his arm. "Roman, I need to tell you something but I need you to stay calm." She began as she propped herself up on her elbow before looking up at his eyes. His brows knitted in concern before he asked, "what's up?".

"When we were at the arena, The Miz approached me and instructed me to tell you that he will stop at nothing to make sure you're out for good. He said nothing and no one is off limits, not even me. At the show today, he made some comments about how he took you out and basically told the crowd that we may be together." Draya said in a low tone as she realized that Roman was already getting upset. He rubbed his face with his hands before wrapping one arm around Draya. "Show me,"he asked calmly. Draya looked down at the phone and pulled up the video. She played it as Roman listened to what The Miz said. The anger built up as each insult was delivered. When it got to the point where he mentioned Draya, Roman was beside himself. "Who gave him the right to involve my personal life in this? Our relationship is just that, OURS! He has no right to threaten you or mention you in our feud. I don't care about the shit he said about me. He's crossing a line. Where's my-," he said as he started to try to get up. He groaned as he struggled to get his leg down. "Ah-d- Damn it, ah," he said as he tried to stand. Draya quickly made it over to him.

"Roman, think this through. If we get down there and he gets his hands on that knee. You're done. You're career might end because you let emotions get the best of you. Is this what you want, to let everything you worked so hard for go down the drain? Calm down, lay back down. There's another way to get revenge." She said as she thought quickly.

"Draya, you're not a wrestler. I don't want you getting hurt on my behalf because I'm not there to protect you." Roman said as he tried to balance himself before sitting back down on the bed. "It's all a mind game and I'm feeding into it. You're right. I'll relax, get through this, and kick his ass when I get back to the ring. I swear if he lays a hand on you, he's going to-AHHH SH-," he said as he desperately tried to relax.

"Here, take some more medicine. Here's your water. You have to relax. No more talk of wrestling or The Miz. Just us, alone. I'll make dinner and just chill for the rest of the night,okay? Don't forget the exercises she mentioned at the hospital." Draya reminded him as she left the room to prepare dinner. She regretted telling him what happened but knew she had to be honest with him. She thought about the situation as she cooked. She made spicy chicken breast with stalks of asparagus, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables.

Draya set the table and placed the plates on the table. Roman came just in time to eat. "How did you know it was ready?!" she said astonished by how quickly he recognized the scent. "Sweetheart, I have an innate ability to find food when I'm hungry, " Roman replied with a chuckle as he settled into a seat. He managed to get his brace on and propped his knee up on the nearest chair. The two sat down at the table and ate.

The two free closer as the days passed. Whether it was short walks on the beach, random movie nights, or just them sitting and talking, the bond grew stronger. Every day, Roman committed more and more time to therapy as he gained more strength. He would leave therapy and then come home, only to work out more. He pushed himself to get closer to that ring and it was definitely paying off. Draya had finally returned to work a month after Roman's surgery. She walked into the condo after a rough night at Full Sail. She tossed her keys on the counter and walked around looking for Roman. "Ro, are you here?" she asked as she went to the bedroom.

"No! Don't come in here yet! D, I promise it's worth it! Give me like two minutes." Roman called out as Draya tried to open the door. "Okay?" Draya answered as she thought of what he could possibly be doing that would require him to block the door. She let her hair down front the curly messy bun and shook it free. She walked to shower and turned it on as she let the water get warm. She played music on her phone and started to sing along as she removed her clothes. She stepped into the shower and the warmth of the water melted her stress away. She washed her hair as she heard a knock at the door.

"Your surprise is waiting for you when you get out D. I hope you like it," Roman called out as he stood behind the door. Draya continued to sing as she finished her shower. She turned the faucet off as she grabbed a towel to wrap herself in. She gathered her things in her arms before tossing them into the hamper. She walked to the bedroom and found candles lit with large floral arrangements around the room. She looked around in awe as she walked towards each one, inhaling deeply to savor their sweet scent.

Roman appeared in the room wearing a fitted white t-shirt with dark denim jeans. His hair was slicked into a bun. He stood using his crutches as support with a bottle of pink Moscato, her favorite wine. "I watched the show tonight and given all the chaos that happened, I figured that you would be exhausted. Don't worry, I handled dinner. I just want you to sit back and relax. It's just my way of saying thank you for keeping me motivated this past month. It's not easy dealing with me when I'm away from the ring and you have handled it with so much grace. I appreciate you. I went to the doctor today, don't worry I had Jimmy take me so I didn't drive. Anyway, I'll just show you, " he said as he leaned his crutches against the wall. He still had his brace on as he slowly walked over to Draya. There was still a slight limp but a vast improvement since he had been non-weight bearing for the past month. He wrapped his arms around Draya's slim waist as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. He smiled as he continued, "He cleared me to start increasing what I can do in the gym. I'm healing a lot better than expected right now and I'm on a good track. So I'm working to get full extension, flexion, walking normally again, and finally getting to work out. Oh yeah, no more crutches. I can just use one to keep people from knocking it but I'm doing good without them. My brace is at about 15 degrees. I'm excited but I'm even more thankful, I couldn't have made it to this point without you getting on my ass about using those little machines, " he kissed her passionately on the lips as he held the one arm around her waist and the bottle in the other hand.

Draya's heart felt like it was going to explode as she saw Roman take his first steps. She smiled while she kissed his lips. She pulled away slightly before pulling in close. "I'm so proud of you, Ro. You worked hard to get here and I'll still be here every step of the way, "she said as she pulled away. "I'm going to get dressed now, then we can eat. I feel like I need to get somewhat dolled up because you look pretty good right now, " she teased as she looked in her closet.

"Well, I mean I can finally take you on that special date to Nick's if you want to go. I had some other plans in mind though. You put on whatever you like and meet me in your backyard." Roman stated as he headed outside with the bottle of Moscato. Draya threw on a maxi dress and some sandals before meeting him outside. He stood behind the chair waiting for her to walk over. He gently scooted her chair for her as he sat down in the other chair. The table was lit by candles as their plates sat in front of them.

"I'm impressed, you did all of this?" Draya asked as she looked at the very appealing salmon served with rice and creamy sauce on top with shrimp and vegetables on the side. Roman smirked as he began to did in. "I wish I had cooked this, now seeing your reaction. No, I had Jimmy pick it up while we were out. I just warmed it up but this isn't all that I had planned, " he said as he smiles before taking the next bite.

"What else did you have in mind Mr. Reigns?" Draya replied with a raised brow as she continued to eat. She was blown away by the amount of thought and effort that was put into this gesture. "You're raising the bar pretty high with dinner and bouquets of flowers. Tread lightly before I expect this to become the routine, "she warned as she giggled. The two finished their dinner as they talked about her day at work. He listened intently, nodding appropriately as she continued with her story. She laughed as she held her neck, trying to soothe her aches.

Roman collected their plates and took them in the house before he returned. He took her by the hand and blew out the candles outside before leading her to the bedroom. He carefully removed his brace and jeans before putting on shorts. He replaced his brace and helped Draya out of her maxi dress. He guided her to the bed and handed her one of his shirts to wear. Once she slipped it on, he sat down in bed and patted her spot. She sat down and he began to massage her shoulders firmly to loosen the knots. He continued as she worked her neck around. "Damn D, you're really tense. Don't they have other trainers they can work the hell out of?" he asked as he continued to work his magic. She moaned as he managed to find the right spot.

"Stay there, right there, " she said as another content moan escaped her lips. "Oh m- right there. Ah-" her voice broke slightly as she felt pleasure flood her body.

"Lay back, D, " Roman requested as his hands slide over her curves. He worked his way down to the small of her back as he kneaded her back with slight pressure. He massaged her legs and worked his way down to her feet. He grabbed some lotion off the nightstand and rubbed his hands together as he continued to pamper her. He massaged her legs as he rubbed the lotion in. Roman took his time and paid special attention to ever knot and tense spot in her body. He felt her body relax under his hands and she became silent. He continued to rub her feet as he glanced back at her resting with her eyes closed.

"Babygirl, tonight wasn't about me at all. No sexual intentions, just wanting to give you the special treatment your body deserved. Sex, I will wait for because you are worth the wait. You are a phenomenal woman and I want to engage with you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You're a force to be reckoned with and one of the strongest I've seen. Thank you for allowing me to witness you take in the world. I appreciate everything you do and have done. Sleep well beautiful, " he said as he held her close. Her head rested on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her.

Roman and Draya was on a steady path. This past month offered it's challenges but the two continued to grow. They carried on the relationship based on their terms. The intimacy continued to grow as they continued to blossom as a couple. Physical intimacy wasn't his primary concern as he still wanted to figure out who she was as a person. The fact that they spent so much time together allowed for a deeper understanding of each other's personalities, they were developing their own little groove by really developing their foundation. They were building a solid union and discovering each other. Roman and Draya used this unfortunate injury as the gateway to healing each other's past wounds and insecurities.


	6. Crazy Chick

Their relationship was thriving and so was Roman's rehab. In the past few months, he was able to abandon the crutches and continue forward with working out. He still had a brace just for added protection but was no longer using the one he had from post op. His cousins were back in town as the show had returned to Pensacola. Roman was excited to at least go watch a show, even if he couldn't be involved physically just yet. Roman packed up the car and headed out to the arena with the plans of surprising Draya at work.

The thoughts of The Miz's trash talk lingered in his mind as he continued to drive. He replayed it all in his head as he pulled up to the arena. The words burned into his memory as he thought of the things The Miz had said to Draya. His eyes narrowed and his brows knitted as the intensity continued to build. He knew he couldn't lose his cool at this show given he still hasn't been cleared to compete. "I could just be REALLY, REALLY careful and just beat his face in. I mean trading jabs can't be that stressful on the knees can it? Draya would kill me if I reinjured my knee. I just want to rip him apart limb from limb. If he starts shit tonight, I'm ending it. That's it. They better be prepared." He nodded his head slowly as a devious smile appeared across his face. He pulled all the way into the parking garage to hide the fact that he was there from the people waiting to enter. He slipped in and headed to the locker room to hang out with his cousins.

A loud thunderous pounding was heard from inside the locker room as Jimmy and Jey played Madden on the PlayStation. "Man, who the fuck is that knocking like they the police? WHO IS IT?" Jimmy yelled out as they watched the door vibrate from impact. "Don't make me buss yo ass. We stay ready homie!" Jey called out.

"Uce, it's me open the damn door bro. Y'all ain't gonna do shit but lose with whatever bullshit team you playing as. I'm got next against whoever wins." Roman said as he stood outside the door. The twins rushed to the door. They opened it and jumped up on Roman playfully. They hadn't seen him since he had been injured and was glad to see him back.

"WHAT'S UP FAM?! Man, you've been gone so long. Driving ain't the same without you man. Jey already got two tickets for speeding in two separate states. It was easier when you drove. Then we could just sleep." Jimmy teased as they walked back to their seats. Roman shook his head in disbelief. "Jey, that's a damn shame. He watched the two continue their game.

"So, I see you and Draya have been doing good. Naomi won't stop gloating about how her match making skills are on fleek. It's good to see you happy though. I don't think any of your ex's hold a candle to Draya." Jimmy said as he made a run on the game. "Lisa, crazy ass sholl can't compete. Remember that time she went ape shit and busted up your car cause she thought you was with another girl and it turned out to be Aunt Patti. Aunt Patti damn near caught a case that night. She came out there swinging that bat around." The two burst out into laughter as they recalled the incident. Roman looked on obviously not amused by the ordeal.

"Lisa, wasn't my best choice. I know that now. It didn't start off that way. She just changed, but all of that is behind me now. I know they have a promo event for NXT coming up and I am thinking of asking her to be my date. I'm ready for the world to know what she means to me." Roman proclaimed as he looked down at his hands before pushing his hair back out of his face. Roman continued to talk to his cousins as he watched their game.

Meanwhile, Draya was in the training area getting things ready for the show. She felt her phone buzz and looked down at her smartwatch to check the notification. The number was unfamiliar so she ignored it initially. She continued with her duties as she felt the buzz again and looked down at the number. "Hello?" She answered the mysterious caller. "STAY AWAY FROM ROMAN! HE'S MINE!"the caller said before hanging up. Draya looked down at the phone and tried to call the number back to no avail. She went back to her tasks but the thought caused a huge distraction.

Roman left the locker room in search of his love. He went to the trainer's room and quietly came up behind Draya. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. "Hey D, " he said as he buried his face in the side of her neck. Draya smirked and turned around to look at him. "Funny that you're here, I was just thinking about you. Do you know this number?" she said as she took out her phone to show him. "A few moments ago, a woman called and said that I should stay away from you because you're hers?" Draya said as she looked intensely in his eyes. His head lowered as he looked at the number. "That's Lisa. She is an ex that I haven't talked to since we broke up. I have no idea why she would feel the need to do that. I don't even know how she got this number. Here, I'll take care of it. Don't worry. I have a favor to ask you though. Draya, these past few months have been amazing and I will be honored to have you by my side for the Slammy Awards this Sunday. I'm going to be a presenter and a nominee for NXT Superstar of the Year. Either way, I go home a winner with you on my arm, " he said as he pushed her soft hair back and leaned in for a kiss. Draya kissed his lips before pulling back, "I'll go. Just get Ms. Lisa under control." She looked at Roman with a side glance before getting back to work.

"Okay, okay. I'll call her and talk to her but you have to get everything together for the Slammy's. I set it all up to you just have to show up and get all sexy. Trust me, babe, you're in for a good night, " he said as he held her in his muscular arms. She nodded as she smiled trying to contain her excitement.

Later in the show, The Miz appeared in the ring with a spotlight and the lights were dimmed. "WELCOME to the most Must-See Wrestling talk show in all of sports entertainment industry, Miz TV! On this fascinating episode, I used my journalism abilities to dig into this story that you'll see tonight. It took me some real digging but I got to the heart of the matter and I think you will be incredibly interested in this story. I know one wrestler who should pay close attention. You know what, this news is so good that I want to see his face first hand. My guest tonight, Roman Reigns!" he said as Roman's music began to play.

Roman looked up at the monitor confused as he heard his music begin to play. Draya looked up at him with the same expression. "This can't be- no one told me I was going out there tonight, " he said as Draya looked up at him with concern. "Babe, be careful!" she pleaded as she knew that he still hadn't been cleared for competition. Roman became silent as he pecked her on the cheek before heading down to the ring. He walked down the ramp trying his best to keep a straight face. On the inside, his heart was pounding as he soaked in the reaction from the crowdm. He was back in the same arena just a few months after being injured. The crowd roared as he approached the ring. He climbed inside and grabbed a mic as he stood toe to toe with The Miz. The Miz looked on with a smug smirk as he looked down at the knee brace.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here. Roman Reigns back in the NXT ring after months of inactivity thanks to my flawless plan. Roman, I appreciate you coming out but if you know what's best for you, I suggest you keep your temper under control." The Miz snickered as he stared down the angry Samoan Badass. Roman looked coldly at The Miz as he refrained from unloading on him. "Why am I out here, Miz?" he asked blatantly. The anger building inside as he stood there and the past comments ran through his mind.

"I'm glad you asked. I want you out here because I want to expose the truth to the people in attendance. I have a surprise for you. I have someone here who has been dying to talk to you. " The Miz stated proudly. A woman's voice came through the speakers.

Lisa walked down the ramp with a mic in hand. Her long, straight black hair flowed gently as she walked down to the ring in a form fitting black dress and matching pumps. The Miz propped the ropes open for her to enter as she stared down Roman with her ice blue eyes. "Roman, it's been a while. I can tell that you have kind of fallen on hard times,"she said as she looked down at his knee brace. "I've followed your career for a while and you've made quite the name for yourself. Been quite busy, huh? Too busy to answer my calls, my texts, and emails? I tried contacting your family and they all seem to have a problem with me. I didn't get any answers from anyone. I guess I should have expected that from savages. They never truly understood what we had. So I figured the best way to reach you was to reach out to The Miz to get a spot on Miz TV to see if that would get your attention. Worked to perfection! You know I have to admit I am proud to be the one that got you in the business. I drove you past you're breaking point. My plan to motivate you to actually be something in life launched a decent career. But one thing that is burned into my brain is the fact that you have yet to acknowledge me for your success. If I hadn't broken you, you wouldn't be in the business. All of the cheating and mind games were for your own good. Can I at least get a Thank You card, a edible arrangement, some kind of recognition?" Lisa said as she looked coldly into his eyes.

"You have lost your damn mind, I ain't giving you shit. I earned everything that has happened for me in this business. I got here on my own and didn't take a single hand out from anyone. I ignored you because I don't need you in my life. You are toxic to everyone around you. You broke up with me and I'm supposed to reward you for that? You broke me down to a shell of myself and now that I have an ounce of happiness you want to come back and reap the benefits. I'm not coming back to you. I don't want you. Leave Draya alone and stay away from her," Roman scolded as he towered over Lisa.

"Woah, someone's grumpy. What's wrong baby? Is she not pleasing you the way I did? You know you miss the way my body felt against your skin. I'm not the best person but I know all the right things to do to make you feel good." Lisa said in a sultry voice as she brushed against Roman's body. "I know I put you through a lot but if I hadn't done those things you would have never been able to get where you are now. You'd still be at that bank wasting your talent instead of making those checks with all those zeroes. You went from depositing those large checks for others to making those large checks for yourself. Just imagine where I could take your wrestling career." She said as she pulled him close to her.

Roman snatched away from her and backed away. "No! Get off me! You are crazier than I thought. Let me put this in a way that you can understand. I DON'T WANT YOUR CRAZY ASS! Stay out of my life!" He said slowly and clearly.

Lisa pulled away and laughed quietly as she looked back up at Roman. "You don't mean that, that's the new girl talking. They all turned you against me that's what it is. They've gotten in your head and made you believe that what I did was meant to hurt you. I want the best for you." She said calmly.

"What the h- NO! You don't! You don't want the best for me you want the money. You want the fame. You want me to bend over backwards for you and let you use me as your personal bank. I can't do that Lisa. You have to find your own way." Roman backed up and dropped the mic before exiting the ring.

"Don't make me do this Roman! You remember what happened the last time you were in this arena? Get back here! I'm not done talking to you! ROMAN! Don't you walk away from me! You're making a big mistake, Roman Reigns! You turn your back on me and you will never wrestle again you hear me!" Lisa snapped as she watched Roman walk away. She looked back at The Miz and nodded. "I warned you!" She called out as Roman continued to walk away. The Miz quickly exited the ring and ran behind Roman, driving his shoulder into the back of his knee. Roman collapsed to the ramp instantly as he clutched his knee. Roman covered up as The Miz continued to stomp him. Roman grabbed The Miz's leg and pulled him down to the floor beside him and unloaded with vicious strikes just as the referees came to try to break the two up. Trainers poured out of the backstage area and got in between the two.

Lisa stood in the middle of the ring, shouting demands at The Miz to help him regain the upper hand as she leaned against the ropes. "COME ON MIZ, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO! It's just like last time! Go for his knee! Attack it! If he doesn't want to be with me, I will make his life a living hell." Lisa smirked as she watched from the ring.

The Miz grabbed Roman's injured leg and began to lock in the Figure Four. Roman desperately fought this attempt. He frantically kicked The Miz several times to block him from applying the hold. The Miz tried once more before he successfully locked in the hold. Lisa shouted in to the mic,"ILL BE DAMNED IF I SEE HIM WITH ANY OTHER BITCH! I am the mastermind behind his attack! I enlisted the help of The Miz to ensure that he would be taken out. No one will reap the benefits of his career other than me. I am the reason he decided to wrestle. I should get what's owed to me! I should be walking red carpets and going on vacations. I broke up with him to challenge him to become greater. He's now good enough for me to date and I won't stop until he's mine." She laughed as she watched the anguish on his face. The trainers attempted to break the hold but were unsuccessful. Roman screamed out as he felt the pain intensify.

Draya was fed up and made her way ringside armed with a steel chair. She ran up quickly and clobbered The Miz with the steel chair until he broke the hold. Once he collapsed to the mat, she fell to her knees next to Roman as she writhed in pain. She stroked his hair and she held him close. "I know, I know. Let's get you to the back." She said as she helped him up. He limped slightly as she guided his steps. She looked back at Lisa before shaking her head and turning back around to help Roman to the back. "I'm sorry, I- I'm so sorry. I didn't know she would be here." Roman said with remorse.

"It's okay. Johnathan, make sure he gets to the back. I'm going to be right back." Draya assures before she let Roman go. Draya turned and headed towards the ring as the producers and officials tried to talk her out of it. Lisa teased from the ring," Come on, bitch! I'm not afraid of you. You're just temporary. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. He's forever going to be mine, this isn't over. You think you bringing your punk ass out here is going to change shit? I know everything about you, Draya. You have nothing on me. That's my man and I will stop at nothing to ensure that we will be together again. I will keep showing up until he's back where he belongs." Lisa said confidently.

Draya snatched away from the officials and slid in the ring under the ropes. She charged towards Lisa as the crowd erupted with a "YES" chant. The crowd was on fire as Draya took Lisa down to the floor. She unloaded with vicious elbows before she proceeded to stomp Lisa's upper body. Lisa swept Draya's feet out from under her causing her head to bounce off the mat. Draya was dazed as she held the back of her head and neck before she rolled on to her side. Lisa propped herself up on her elbow and crawled towards Draya. She pulled her hair and slammed her head into the mat repeatedly. Draya laid there as she tried to recoup for a few moments. Lisa made it to her feet and gloated as she soaked in the reaction from the crowd. Draya used the time to muster up enough strength to make it to her feet. She sneaked up behind her and lock in the Coquina Clutch. Draya's grip around her neck became tighter as she felt her body go limp. The two collapsed to the mat as Draya wrapped her legs around Lisa's mid section. The referees climbed into the ring and pulled Draya off of Lisa. "Bring it on bitch!" Draya called out as she fixed her hair and checked her mouth for blood. Lisa laid lifeless as the referees checked on her. Draya quickly escaped the ring and ran full speed to the trainer's room to look for Roman.

"Where is he? ROMAN?! What the hell happened out there?! He wasn't even cleared for physical activity! Where's Hunter at? Who's fucking idea was it to let this happen, huh?! NO ONE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY? So y'all just gonna look at me like I'm stupid?" Draya looked around the room at the producers and fellow members of the training team. Draya stood with her hands on her hips as she breathed heavily, her body covered in sweat. A few bruises and wells became evident under the light in the training room. Roman came out of the bathroom with a heavy limp as he walked carefully back to the table. Draya rushed over to him as the producer called Hunter. "Are you okay? Did they look you over?" Draya said as she spit the words out quickly. Rage filled her heart as Roman looked at her with a defeated demeanor. "I'm okay, just some pain. They did some tests here but I have to go back and get some at the ER. I'm fine. Just some swelling, nothing different than when I work out. I'm sorry about what happened to-" Roman was cut off by Hunter bursting through the door.

"What the hell was that? That's not how that segment was supposed to go. I didn't approve that shit. The health of our talent comes first, if this delays his return to the ring, I swear- it better not happen. Someone dropped the ball and when I find out, you can bet your ass that you'll deal with me. Go get checked out and let me know what happens, call me directly. I don't know what kind of psycho shit is going on but this can't happen again. Good job mustering through it. Draya, I apologize it went that far but hat was a hell of a job taking her down." Hunter stated before leaving.

Draya looked at Roman and kissed his lips softly before grabbing her things. "I'll take you to get checked out. I didn't expect any of this to happen. This bitch is psycho. Why didn't you tell me about her?" She asked as he pushed himself up from the table.

Roman replied," I was meaning to but how exactly do I bring that up without scaring you off. She's not gonna stop until she gets what she wants. I like you a lot and I didn't want to ruin it before I had the chance to see where it went. I guess you heard most of the story already. She was a childhood sweet heart that ended up being nothing more than a money hungry, manipulative, cheater that only cared about herself. She only wanted me because I had the job at the bank and was spending all my money on her. Money I didn't even have. I took out loans, maxed out cards because I thought that what love was. She wasn't happy even after all that so she left. I was broken turned to women, drinking, just letting myself go because it was my first real relationship and I just wanted to numb the pain. I started wrestling then one thing lead to another. I made it here. When I came to NXT and started to get a little popularity. She started calling and trying to contact me. I ignored it all. Then it stopped, I figured I was in the clear. When they started mentioning you on tv, it picked up again. After you showed me the number calling you, it confirmed it." He said as he held Draya's hand. "I'm truly sorry for all of this and I understand if you don't want to continue this relationship. I'm grateful to at least have been happy with you this long." He said as he looked down at their hand.

"I'm not going anywhere. What we have is worth fighting for. I'm not going to get scared and run away from some delusional woman. It's all going to be okay. I trust you and I know your heart. We can get through this. Ro, you mean too much to me for me to just let go. We will get you checked out, then we decide what we're going to do for the Slammy awards." She said with a smile as she pecked him on the cheek.

Roman smiled slightly as they walked out of the trainer's room and to his car. Draya took the keys and hopped in the driver seat as Roman climbed into the passenger seat. The two went to the ER to get his knee checked out. After an hour or so, they were informed that no significant damage was done to the knee but the hold did place a lot of stress on the surgical site. They suggest that he stayed off the knee and just rest for the next few days.

Taking the advice, Roman and Draya drove back to her condo. As Draya drove up, she noticed something was different. The condo's windows had been broken out and clothes were scattered across the lawn. Tears filled her eyes as she saw "HE'S MINE!" spray painted across the door. She slowed to a stop as she turned the car off. Roman quickly called the police as he got out the car and accompanied Draya inside. The home had been ransacked. Paintings had been sliced with knives just like her furniture. The kitchen was barely recognizable as most of the fixtures had been broken. The appliances were smashed to bits. Childhood photos had been cut up and melted frames were found in the fire place. Tears flowed from her eyes as she realized that irreplaceable photos of her grandmother were burned. She quickly went to her room and looked around to see that it had also been destroyed. Her closets were emptied and shoes covered in some type of chemical. Her bed had the same slashes as the rest of the furniture. The smashed wooden furniture left wood pieces scattered across the floor. Every inch of her dream home had been desecrated. Her escape from her busy days was now in shambles.

Draya's heart broke as the reality sank in. Roman held her tight as he comforted her. "Draya, I'm so - I can't even fathom what you must be feeling. I'm sorry that this happened. I never meant to be a source of pain for you. I never wanted to bring a tear to your eye. It pains me to see everything you worked so hard for destroyed because of us being together." Roman said in a low voice.

"Ro, I - this was the first home I ever owned. my grandmother was my rock. She was the only one that believed in my dreams and pushed me to pursue everything my heart desired. Those photos were passed down to me from her. Generations before her were in those frames. I can't get those back. When she passed away, I promised her I would get back to Florida and settle here. I promised her I will do the things that make me happy. My last pictures of her before she passed were on these walls. I didn't have anyone else but her. She raised me like I was her own daughter because my own parents didn't want me. She was my first experience of unconditional love. You don't know - I can't explain how I feel right now. LISA TOOK THAT FROM ME!" Draya said as lowered herself to the ground. Roman sat next to her and held her in his arms as her tears stained his shirt. Her loud sobs ripped him to pieces as they intensified. The louder they got the harder it was for him to keep himself together. He pushed his hair out of his face and continued to hold her.

The police came into the house and surveyed the damage before getting a statement from Draya once she had calmed down a bit. Roman rubbed her back as she finished the statement. Her eyes were red and swollen as she continued to choke back tears. As the officers continued to question her, Roman's phone vibrated. The number read as "UNKNOWN" but some how managed to send a message with photos attached. The photos showed current images of the inside of the wrecked condo. Roman looked around as he tried to figure out where the pictures were being taken from. "Ya'll have to do something. I keep getting messages, she's getting messages from strange numbers. These have photos of the house, right now, attached. What the hell is going on? Can you do your job and arrest this sick bitch or not? Lisa is doing this because I don't want to be with her and she's going too far. This has to stop. I'm taking Draya away from here until this is resolved. Fix this shit!" Roman demanded.

"We will do our best, Mr. Reigns. I need you to cooperate and remain calm so that we can do our jobs. We understand this is a difficult situation but, " the officer was cut off by Roman. "A difficult with a difficult situation? You can bet your ass it's a difficult situation that will get a whole lot more difficult it Y'all don't lock her away. I don't understand the holdup. We told you what happened. She left this morning. I left around 12 to surprise her at work. Everything is going smoothly. She gets a message from her saying the exact same thing that's painted across her door. She threatened her at the show and now we come back to this. Draya doesn't deserve any of this and you want to drag your feet on this. Something needs to get done and quick. I can't do anything to replace those photos but I can break my foot off in your ass if it makes you work a little harder to get this handled, " he said as his anger reaches a boiling point. "DO SOMETHING!" Roman exclaimed as he came face to face with the officer. He glared at him as he breathed heavily.

Draya interrupted the confrontation as she wedge herself between the two. "Roman, chill out before they lock you up. Officer, thank you for what you're doing. I'll find somewhere to stay until I decide how to get my house fixed." She said as she looked at Roman. He continued to stare down the officer before the officer ultimately walked away. Roman looked down at Draya with sad eyes as he felt a rush of guilt flood his soul. "Babygirl, I'm sorry. I know I can't ease the pain of this but I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you." He said as he lowered himself to his knees. "I sincerely apologize with every fiber of my being. I never wanted you to hurt like this." He said as he held her tight to him. He rubbed her back slowly. Draya stroked his hair. "I know babe. I know."

The days passed as the couple continued to bounce from hotel to hotel room. They weren't able to stay at Roman's place, given that Lisa knew where he and various family members stayed. To take their minds off of what happened, the two went shopping for outfits for the award show. Roman kept his word and used crutches to hobble around the boutiques as they looked for a suit. He tried on several, much to his displeasure, but didn't feel comfortable in anything. "You know what, fuck this damn show. If I have to wear a suit I don't want to go. Fucking leg hurts and I don't want to wear a stupid suit." He snapped as he put the suit back on the rack. Draya looked up from her phone. "Roman, calm down. You don't have to wear a suit. Here we can go to another store and find something. Maybe a nice button down with a black leather jacket, nice dark denim jeans, and black boots?" She suggested. "Perfect suggestion! Let's get the hell out of here and find that." He said as he waited for her to gather her stuff. They walked across the street and found an outfit very close to what she had suggested. Draya looked around the store and didn't feel much like shopping. She reflected on all that she had lost. She pulled herself together and tried on some outfits. Draya decided to get the black leather jacket, black jumper, and black open toe wedges. Roman looked on in awe of her as she modeled the outfit for him. "I love it, D!" He said as he kissed her lips.

Sunday night came around and the two put the finishing touches on their outfits. Draya finished applying her makeup and putting on her earrings as Roman got his brace on over the jeans. He walked over to her and lightly massaged her shoulders as she sprayed her perfume. "You ready to show the world how I'm the luckiest man in the world to have a woman as beautiful as you on my arm?" He said playfully. He grabbed the keys as he waited for her, leaning against the bedroom door. She grabbed her purse and smiled as she led the way to the door. Roman watched as he walked slowly to the door. He couldn't help but admire the view. He hurried to the door as he realized that she had caught him in the act. "Come on Roman, we're gonna be late. I don't want to keep the people waiting." She laughed as she held the door open for him. He handed her the keys as he carefully walked to the car. "I could totally drive." He said before climbing into the passenger seat. "You're supposed to be resting, I got this boo." She teased as she started the car. She backed out of the parking spot and pulled onto the street. She picked up speed as she merged into traffic.

Draya drove for a while before approaching the red light. Draya applies her foot to the brake, the car never slowed down. Roman looked over as he realized that they weren't stopping. "Draya, stop playing around. Slow down, babe." The horror on her face proved to him that she was by no means kidding. Draya frantically stomped the brake as she continued into oncoming traffic. She panicked as she attempted to swerve to avoid the cars. Draya looked up and saw headlights headed straight towards her. Her heart dropped as she realized their fate. She ran into a pole head on in an attempt to avoid others but failed to avoid the car coming towards her on the driver's side. As they made contact with the pole, her head snapped forward and hit the steering wheel. The airbag deployed as the glass shattered. She blacked out instantly. She felt the pain surge through her body as the car made impact with the driver's side door. The metal crunched around her as the impact snapped her neck another direction. The sickening sound of bones cracking under the weight made Roman's blood boil. He looked over at his girlfriend and saw blood coming from her head. He frantically called 911 as soon as he could find his phone. He screamed, "DRAYA! Baby, please! Come on, talk to me."

"Don't move her, please tell me your location and I'll have help on the way. Stay with her, try to talk to her. Look for any sudden movements." The dispatcher instructed as she collected info from Roman. "Come on baby, open your eyes. Give me something baby. Anything, please let me know your here. I wouldn't forgive myself - come on baby! Come on, D!" He begged as he caressed her face. He dropped his hand down to hers and held it firmly. Her hand twitched under his. He looked up as he felt the twitch. "Draya, it's me baby, I'm here." Her eyes fluttered as they slowly opened. She looked over at Roman and tried to speak. No matter how she tried, she couldn't get the words out. "It's okay, it's okay. Just squeeze my hand and let me know you here me. Come on baby girl." He patiently waited for a response as he continued talking to the dispatcher. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could. He smiled as tears flowed down his face. "Keep fighting baby, I'm so proud of you. Keep still for me and help is coming baby. How much longer?" He asked the dispatcher between motivating Draya. "They're less than 5 minutes. Hold on baby, please!" The lights appeared in Roman's view as he held her hand.

Roman got out through the passenger side and attempted to direct them towards the area. He checked on the other driver who was still coherent but shaken up. "Make sure she gets help," the driver instructed. He nodded as the ambulance pulled up. Roman held his hands behind his head as he tried to process what happened. He gave his account of the accident as the cops questioned him. He stole a peek of the EMTs as they worked to pull the car door open. He rushed over as he saw them struggle. They used machinery to force the door open and did his best to keep from jumping in. Once the door opened, he got as close as he could without getting in the way. "I'm still here baby. I'm still here." He called out as tears flowed from his eyes. They carefully pulled her out from the carnage and held her head straight as they placed the collar around her neck. The entire team were all hands on deck as they called out,"possible SCI with cervical fracture." Roman honed in on those words as he tried to process what he heard while they strapped her in on the stretcher. He walked over to the ambulance as they loaded her up. He climbed in the back and took her hand. He held it to his lips as he kissed her softly. He sniffled as he choked back tears.

They made it to the hospital as they rushed Draya away. "What's going on? Wh- where is she going?" He asked as they held him back in the waiting room. "Tell me what's going on, please!" He looked the nurse in the eyes. "I can't tell you what's going on right now, I don't even know but I will do my best to get an answer as soon as I can. Is there anyone we can call for you?" She asked and took Roman to get checked out.

Roughly 30 minutes later, Roman's family appeared. Naomi led the pack with tears in her eyes. She knew by the look on his face that the news wasn't good. He sat in the waiting room with a small bandage on his forehead and some bruising on his face. Patti rushed to him and hugged him tight in relief that he was okay. She kissed his forehead and held him as he began to breakdown. He pulled away as he looked at Naomi. His red swollen eyes welled with more tears as he began to tell her what happened. Naomi's mouth dropped as she listened to the details. She held her hands over her mouth as tears fell past her chin. Just as Roman finished the story, silence spread amongst the room. Naomi paced back and forth as images of their childhood replayed in her mind. Patti and Sika sat together quietly. Jimmy stared at the ground as Roman sat silently by the window. Jey went to get snacks and coffee for everyone. Roman refused as he continued to sit in silence, not moving a muscle.

Hours passed before an update. The time ticked by slowly as time continued to past. Roman looked up at the clock and walked to the desk just as the surgeon made his way out to the waiting room. Roman glanced at him, "Are you coming out to tell us about Draya? Draya Bermudez?" Roman asked. The entire family looked up in unison and stood up next to Roman.

"Yes, Ms. Bermudez underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture in her neck and her mid back. There is some swelling. She might have some issues with numbness or tingling which should subside as she heals. There's no permanent damage to her spinal cord but it will be a long road to recovery. We will have her in her room soon. The nurse can let you know which ICU bed she will be in. We just want to monitor her for any changes. She's going to pull through but we have a tough road ahead." The doctor said before he shook Roman's hands. Roman sighed heavily before he went over to the nurse's station. "Where will Draya be?" He nodded as they provided directions. Naomi joined him and they left the others in the waiting room. They went upstairs to the Neuro Intensive Care Unit and went to the last door on the right. Draya laid in bed sleeping. Her body appeared so small surrounded by all the tubes and machinery. She was still intubated from the surgery with a ventilator in the room. A new neck brace replaced the previous collar that Roman saw her with. As he got closer, he realized that her torso was covered with a hard, plastic brace. She had two IVs in either arm both hooked up to pumps with fluids running. She had fresh stitches near her right brow and in her upper lip from where the glass cut her. He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to her forehead as he stroked her hair. He took her hand as he pulled up a seat. He held it in his as he sat down. He pulled the rosary out of his wallet and placed it in her hand as he began to pray silently to himself. He wept uncontrollably as he begged for her healing. Naomi stood silently next to him with tears streaming down her face. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she watched her best friend lay in bed, helpless. Before the two knew it, an hour had passed. Roman watched intently for her to wake up. He never moved from the spot as Naomi texted everyone updates.

Draya desperately fought to wake up, the medication they used during the surgery was definitely winning this battle. She felt their presence but couldn't do much to respond. She heard Roman pleading for her to wake up and Naomi calling her name. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut they were so heavy. Her eyes fluttered before she opened them to see a hazy image of a white ceiling. She looked around and wasn't sure of her surroundings. She looked down at her hand and saw Roman with his head down. Draya squeezed his hand firmly to get his attention. Roman looked up and smiled as he saw that she was awake. His eyes widened as he heard the monitors beep more as the numbers increased. "Shhhh, baby. Baby, you're okay. You're safe. You were in an accident. You have to stay calm babe. It's okay. You had surgery on your neck and back. They said you broke a few ribs. I know you're in a lot of pain but I'm here. They have a tube in your mouth to -uh, the tube,"he said as he cleared his throat. "It's there to help you breathe for right now. It's temporary okay?" He said as his voice cracked. "I'm not going anywhere. You didn't leave me and I can't leave you." Draya tried to speak but only incomprehensible sounds could be heard. Naomi looked around for a pen and paper. She held it up and waited for confirmation. She squeezed Roman's hand tight. He nodded as Naomi held the paper and handed her the pen. Draya began to write the words, " I love you, " on the paper. She looked back at Roman with tears in her eyes. He wiped each one away before they passed her chin. "I love you since the day I met you babygirl." He replied sweetly.

In this short time, Draya and Roman had endured so much. Why punish two people for being madly in love? They hoped for a lifetime of happiness but it seemed as if sadness had become the third wheel of their relationship. Will they even make it through this latest blow? It's a tough pill to swallow when someone who is so active and strong is no longer able to be themselves anymore. The true test is coming. The journey to recovery won't be an easy one but both are hopeful their love will conquer all adversity.


	7. In case you didnt know

Draya desperately fought to stay awake while Roman's family came in to check on her. She continued to hold his hand before she started coughing. She reached her hands to the tube as the coughing increased. Roman became concerned as he walked out into the hall and called for the nurse. "Something's wrong! She's coughing really bad. I don't know what's happening." He said as he tried to contain the panic in his voice. The nurse quickly came to the room as the monitors sounded various alarms.

"Draya, relax sweetie. This is normal. We can take it out. You're natural instinct is kicking in. This is what we want. You're breathing better and don't need this anymore." The nurse explained as she called for a doctor to come to the room. Draya panicked and frantically tried to grab the tube. She coughed violently as she fought the ventilator to regain control of her own breathing. Roman desperately tried to console her and took her hand. He rubbed the back of her hand as he stroked her hair. He kissed her gently before he began to speak,"they're gonna take it out then you can breathe on your own. Making good progress babe!"He tried his best to keep a positive perspective. He stroke her hair some more as he smiled slightly. It was enough to help her calm down enough to pull out the tube. Draya took her first couple of deep breaths. She looked over at Roman with heavy eyes. She drifted to sleep as Roman sat at her bedside. It wasn't long before he knocked out himself.

The first four days were the hardest for Roman and Draya. Draya was in horrible pain from surgery and other injuries sustained. She grimaced and groaned frequently in her sleep. No matter what position she was in, it was incredibly uncomfortable. The extent of her injuries began to sink in as she realized her limitations. Draya was drifting further and further away from the Draya that she once was. The fun-loving upbeat beauty was being replaced by a withdrawn, helpless, empty vessel. Her eyes were no longer full of the zest for life. Roman began to notice this difference and tried his best to combat it. "Draya, " he began as he sat down on the bed carefully in front of her. "I know this isn't you. I know you are feeling horrible and helpless. You are strong, beautiful, and the baddest woman alive. You overcame so much to make sure your dreams come true and now, you have one more battle to fight. Please don't give upon me, beautiful. I'll be here through it all. I will do whatever I have to do to make sure you get justice. We both know she had something to do with it. I won't stop until she pays for what she did." He said as he looked into her eyes. The passion in his words reignited Draya's slow burning flame for motivation. Later in the week, she started working with PT to learn how to safely walk and get out of bed on her own. She was tolerating foods well and things were finally looking up. She had met all the conditions needed to go home.

After a few weeks of being in the hospital, Draya was finally ready to go home. She spent most of the final week wondering about this moment, hoping for this moment to come. Now that it was here, it was more frightening than exciting. The nurse removed her IVs and reviewed the discharge paper work, which included her prescriptions. Roman smiled proudly as he held out his hands to help Draya stand while the nurse helped her change into her regular clothes. Roman has brought one of his big T-shirts with a pair of sweatpants, hoping to make the process easier for her. He brought her some slide in slippers, which were decorated with her favorite animal: flamingoes. Roman helped her to the bathroom to finish getting ready. She laughed as she caught a glimpse of her baggy outfit. "Babe, I'm drowning in this shirt! It's so big! How ridiculous do I look?" She said as she continued to laugh before the pain brought that to a quick stop. "Ridiculous?" He said with a suspicious brow. " Woah, Woah, Woah! What girl are you looking at?! That outfit was handpicked by yours truly. That is a masterpiece! You are absolutely beautiful no matter what you have on but this right here. Mmph!" He said as he looked at her up and down. Roman didn't care about the clothes she was wearing. He simply saw his future standing before him. He smiled to himself before he walked over and took her hand.

Roman helped Draya steady herself as she stood in the bathroom before pulling her in slowly. She felt slightly unsteady but knew she was safe in his arms. She looked up at him and smiled as she puckered her lips for a kiss. He eagerly obliged before he guided her to the wheelchair. The nurse kindly pulled Draya's hair back into a bun for her as Roman gathered their things. The nurse wheeled her down while Roman followed closely. He leaned over and softly said," Are you ready?" Draya looked up before she began, "as ready as I could be, just nervous." She said before she looked towards the main entrance. Roman carried her stuff out to the car as the valet pulled up. He tipped the valet before opening the door to help Draya inside. Draya slowly rose to her feet as she felt Roman's firm grasp around her. "I got you, don't worry. Just walk slowly and I'm here if you feel weak." She had never felt so safe with any other man, the tone of his words was so sincere and reassuring. Draya slowly climbed before strapping herself in. Roman carefully closed the door and went around back to load up the car with their things. Management had been so kind with the various cards and gift baskets, other wrestlers had flooded the room with cards and other trinkets to show there concern for Draya. She was loved by the locker room even though she had only been there a few months.

Roman climbed into the driver's seat as he started the ignition. He put on his seat belt before he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Roman pulled away slowly as Draya looked over at him, "Babe, I know we have been through a lot with the injuries and everything but I wouldn't trade this time with you for anything in the world. On a more serious note, I was able to file the police report and they opened an investigation to see what caused the accident. They should be able to find the person who did this. We both have a good idea and I told them that too. I will stop at nothing to keep you from getting hurt again." He reached down and brought her hand to his lips. He kissed it gently before caressing it softly in his large hands. He held it as he began to pull out of the parking lot.

Draya looked out the window as she admired the change in scenery. It was finally good to see something other than hospital walls. The two drove along as they made their way to the hotel. The repairs to the condo weren't complete yet and Roman didn't want to take the chance of Lisa finding them at his place. The car slowed to a stop as they approached a red light. Roman glanced over at Draya as he smiled. " We're almost there." He said as the light changed. Roman looked ahead as he eased his foot off the brake. "It feels good just to finally be out of that place. I'm sorry that you didn't get to get your reward." She said as she continued to look out the window. Before Roman could answer her, he felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled off to the shoulder and answered it. After a few moments, he hung up the phone and looked over at Draya. "They need me to come down to the arena tonight. They want to start setting up for my return. If I return soon then that means that I will be on tour in 2 weeks." He said as he pushed his hair back as he sighed heavily. Draya remained by his side the entire time that he was out for his injury and now that she needed him, he was being sent back on the road. Roman looked down at the phone before he looked up at Draya, "I don't have to go. I can make up something and tell them I can't go back just yet. I am more concerned about getting you back to what you love. You deserve to experience this with me." He said as Draya looked into his eyes. She struggled to do so without pain but did manage to lift her hand to his cheek. "I'm down to ride. Whatever you choose to do, I support you. I can watch from the locker room. It's okay Ro, you are about to do something amazing and I want to witness your career take off." She said as she pulled his face in for a kiss. " This is just the beginning and I will be there for every moment. Granted, if I had my way, it would not involve me in these damn braces but I will definitely be there rooting for you. It'll be good to let everyone know that I was okay." She said with a weak smile.

Roman looked up with furrowed brows. "No, Draya. You can not come with me. I can't have you traveling with me like this. You have sustained two very serious injuries. It's hard enough to travel without injuries. When you add a broken neck and a messed up back to that- I just can't let you suffer. All I can think about is you backstage and The Miz having some crazy scheme up his sleeve that puts you in danger. I don't want you to sacrifice your chance to get back to what you love for me. I'll figure something out but I don't want you backstage right now. You're body needs this time to heal." He said assertively. Draya looked down as she thought about what he said. "Well, I guess I'll stay at the hotel until the condo is finished. I can just watch from home!" She said optimistically. The joyful tone gave Roman a bit of hope that sparked an idea. "You know, the money that it takes to rent a hotel room we can put towards getting a tour van. I mean it would have everything that we need and you could watch the shows from the audience. That way you can see my matches and I can have a little motivation to win. Afterwards, we just meet up and drive to the next town." Draya pondered the idea as she looked at Roman's big goofy smile. She thought to herself, 'How can I say no to that face? I know he means well but I don't know. A tour van? We're both still starting our careers. How are we gonna afford this van?' She looked out into the distance as she continued to think. "What the hell, why not. Let's get the van but can we please get a bed that isn't so plush. The firm bed would be amazing if we can get it." She replied with a hearty laugh.

Neither one of them knew where this crazy ride would take them but they knew that they needed each other around for the journey. Others would say that this was all moving too fast but what is life without risks. There was nothing traditional about this couple so why not continue to embrace the spontaneity with open arms. As long as they had each other, they were perfectly happy. After weeks of pain and hospitalization, things were finally starting to take a turn for the best. Maybe the two were on their way to paving their own path in life.


	8. “Dont Mess With My Man”

The new love birds managed to get a small van to shuttle them from show to show. Tonight was the night that Roman had been waiting for, the opportunity get back in front of the crowd and do what he loves most. Roman had been out of action for months and many had been speculating for days now on his return. the crowd was buzzing anticipating his arrival. Roman looked over at Draya and thought to himself how lucky he was to have her back at his side. Yes, she was still very injured but at least she could see some old friends to boost her spirits. He could tell that she was missing being backstage just as much as he missed performing. He took her hand in his and brushed the back of it with his thumb lovingly before kissing it.

"Babe, I know you want to get back to the job you love. I want you to get back to it too. We will get you through this and you are not alone. I got you, you got my family, and an entire locker room cheering you on. We are going to get you back to your dream babe, believe that." Roman stated as he pulled his shades on. Draya looked over as she teared up slightly, she quickly blinked the tears away while processing the magnitude of his words. "Ro, I still have on this outfit. I can't go in the arena looking like this. I love your outfit choice but I have to clean it up a bit. I'll put it back on after we get back." She said with a light hearted smile. She wanted to laugh harder but didn't want to hurt his feelings, she was literally drowning in his clothes. Roman chuckled as he realized what she was saying. "Well, it makes for a good disguise to throw the fans off. Nah, I understand what you mean. Come on, I'll help you. I don't want my baby out here hurting if I can help it." Roman said as he pulled into the arena. He drove as close as he could to where the superstars hung out. He was super early for the event so no fans were around. He cut the engine off and quickly went around to the other side before Draya could touch the door handle. "You focus on you, I'll take care of everything else. Just take my hand and I'll help you down." Roman said with sincere concern. Draya reached out and took his hand, "Babe, can you please change my shoes? Ill wear the baggy clothes but the flamingoes can stay between us?" She said as she looked up, trying to disguise her laughter.

Roman looked up into her beautiful eyes. "Are you making fun of my fashion sense? I was focusing on your comfort babe. Okay, hold on right here. I have something you can slide into." Roman looks through the bags and found some leggings with some small pink nike slides. "Is this better?" He said as he held the items up for her to see. "Yeah, thats good babe. I just have to get changed. We can do that inside. I hope its close by." Draya looked around to see if there was anyone coming. She carefully climbed down as she felt pain rush through her body. She moaned quietly as she bit down on her lip. She slowly walked next to Roman, using the van to lean on for support. She looked over as he grabbed his gear. "I don't think I'll be ring side sweetheart. I think the best I can do is backstage. I'm still feeling pain. I'm sorry. I'll stay with Naomi, she's always here with Jimmy. I'll call her. I'll be okay with her. I'll watch your match from the back. You'll do great." She said as she looked up and leaned forward slightly for a quick kiss. Roman stopped in his tracks as he looked down and saw the pain in her eyes. "Okay, you're right. You are still pretty banged up. I'll help you get to her and hang out a bit before the match." He kissed her carefully, not wanting to her to hurt.

The couple walked to the backstage area and was heading to the women's locker room. The crew looked up and waved casually as they saw them walk in together. Naomi looked away from the conversation that she was having and did a double take before cutting the conversation short. "DRAYA!!!! Baby girl!!!! You're here? What are you doing here so soon? How are you feeling? Roman, have you been taking care of her? Heard you were coming back tonight, congrats! You have been missed so much!" She said as she went in for the warm embrace. "I've been doing my best. I didn't want to leave her alone in a hotel. I think this would help boost her spirits a little. I got the call while we were headed to a hotel. She just got released not long ago." He answered before quickly looking back at Draya to see if she was still feeling okay. "Yeah, I'm here. I couldn't stay in a hotel and miss his big night. Im still beat up. I have the braces on for a little while longer. They just took off the neck brace, I get a break from that for a few hours and I'm loving it. Still painful, but I'm doing good. I'm doing really good." Draya said with a confident smile. " I can't wait to watch y'all kick some ass tonight. I miss being here so much."

The producer walks up to Roman, "Hey Big Man! Glad to have you here tonight, glad to see you too Draya! We are happy to see you in good spirits. Do you mind if I steal him away for a moment?" Draya replied, "Yeah, go ahead. I'll be back here if you need me. I'm just gonna go with Naomi and get settled in. I'll be okay. " Her attempt to soothe Roman's worry worked and allowed him to focus on work. He stole a quick kiss before watching her walk away with naomi. The producer began to divulge the plan for Roman's return, "so we have a thought and wanted to run it by you first. How comfortable do you feel talking about everything that has happened with your injury, Miz involving Lisa in the mix, and everything that has happened. "I can talk about it. I don't want much of my relationship with Draya in the forefront. I'll mention it briefly but I prefer to keep it private. She has been through enough and I don't want to bring any more harm her way. I'll let her know and give y'all a heads up before I go out." Roman said as he thought back over of everything leading up to this point.

Roman messaged Draya:

R:Just making sure that you are doing okay, where did you guys go? I need to talk to you about what they wanted me to cut a promo about.

D: Women's Locker Room, Jimmy and Jey are here with Naomi. It's okay for you to come by if you want.

Roman walked over the women's locker room to find Draya with The Usos and Naomi. He knocks as he hears the laughter from the outside. Jimmy opens the door and sees Roman, "UCE! Bruh, why you keep a secret this good from us?! I'm telling Aunt Pat you out here keeping us in the dark. We couldn't get a phone call, a text, a billboard? You aint tell us nothing. I thought we were a family?" Roman looked over at Jimmy and laughed hysterically. "Man, if you don't stop. I just found out today, literally after I was about to head to a hotel. Not even a few hours ago. Chill fam." Roman said as he dabbed up his cousins. Roman made his way to Draya's side as she blushed. "Hey, is everything okay,"he asked as he saw the redness in her face. "Yeah, I'm okay. What did you need to talk to me about?" She asked as she looked up at him while holding her back slightly. " Well, they want me to talk about the injury, The Miz, us, and the Lisa situation. I just wanted to run it by you before you saw it." Draya's face took on a more serious look. She frowned instantly hearing the bitch's name who nearly killed her. Her face turned a brighter red as her eyes watered. "It's okay to talk about it. I just hate even thinking about what she did. I'm not upset with you. I knew it would come up eventually. I don't mind. Is that all they asked you about?" Draya asked knowing that producers may leave out some important details, much like the last time that Roman was on the active roster. Roman looked over at her as he took her hand in his. "That's all that they told me. That's all that I am going to allow." He said quietly, he knew that Draya would be pissed if anything else transpired. Roman knew the risks for what he was doing tonight and wanted to make sure that he had her full support.

Later that night, the time had finally come. Roman walked down to the backstage area and waited behind the curtain. The roar of the crowd fueled his excitement as he heard the announcer began to speak. "This is a young man that has the talent and charisma to take this company very far one day. The last time we saw him was several months ago and many things has changed since then. However, he is back stronger and better than ever before. Welcome back, Roman Reigns!" Roman burst through the curtain unable to contain himself. He stared out into the crowd as he soaked in the love. He bounced around as he roared, "I'M BACK! I CANT BE STOPPED!" He walked stoically down the ramp and entered through the ropes. He shook them with excitement as he took a mic. "ROMAN REIGNS IS BACK BABY! The knee is healed and I'm feeling great but I do have some things to get off my chest. First, I would like to say thank you for the output of love and support. You guys kept me motivated but there is also one person that kept pushed me to get back here no matter what. Thank you so much, you know who you are." Roman said with a wink just as the camera zoomed in on him.

Draya watched on proudly from the women's locker room. Naomi looked over as she cause Draya's face glow with admiration. "Hey, you helped that man get back to that ring! Look at your man out there shouting you out and what not." Naomi teased as she got up to walk towards the door. Jimmy and Jey had left earlier to get a ready for their segment later in the show. "Hey, I'm gonna go to catering and get some food. You want anything? I can bring something back for you," Naomi offered as she grabbed the door knob. " Yeah, that's fine! Thank you." Draya said shyly as she beamed watching Roman's promo.

"Last you guys saw of me, The Miz has destroyed my knee and I was on the mend but on top of that, he dug up the skeleton in my closet. A skeleton I wish had stayed buried but what can you do at that point? What crossed the line is that The Miz endangered the life of my current girlfriend and that is not by any means okay. Wrestling is my job, you guys don't know everything about me and somethings I would like to keep that way. There was no reason to drag my personal life into this. I prefer to keep the two separate and you just couldn't be satisfied with that Miz? You had to break down the walls I had placed around it just for cheap heat. You endangered lives just so you can eliminate the competition? No matter how many times you try to take me out, I'm getting back up every time and I will be stronger each time. This little game you're playing just got a lot more personal. Stay out of my business , Miz. I guarantee if harm comes to anyone in my personal life again, it will be the last thing you do. Beli-," Roman said as he was cut off.

The Miz's music filled the arena as the self proclaimed "A-lister" came out with a microphone in hand. "Wow, Roman! Bravo! Making your triumphant return to the ring and playing knight in shining armor to your little trainer trash, ring rat. Bravo! I'm truly impressed. I heard about the little accident that she had. It's a shame they haven't found the culprit. It's not like she wasn't going around stealing another woman's boyfriend and reaping the benefits of another woman's investment. I guess karma will always strike back at the perfect opportunity." The Miz said with a sadistic smirk. He held the mic close before pausing to look into the crowd as the crowd voiced its opinion in the form of Boos.

Roman stood in the ring as his blood boiled inside. His face brightened to a reddish hue as the anger continued to build. He pushed his hair back as his brows lowered. "If you had ANYTHING to do with what happened, I will rip you limb from limb as I beat you unmercifully." He snarled as he tossed the mic to the side.

"Listen carefully you overhyped meathead, you aren't going to do anything. You know why? You think that I don't know what happens back stage? You think anything can happen around here that I don't happen to find out about? Be careful who you leave back stage. I didn't think you'd be that stupid. If I could figure it out, someone else just might figure it out too?" He said as he removed the shades and looked down the ramp at Roman. Roman looked on as he focused on his words. Roman left the ring and took off down the ramp towards The Miz.

"Uh uh, security!! Come out here and do what I hired you to do! Get your asses out here and protect the most valuable asset to this company! The revenue I generate for this company pays your salary! Keep him back!" The Miz instructed as the security formed a wall between him and Roman. Roman looked on pacing back and forth. He glared at The Miz knowing this situation wasn't going to end well. "You see I did a little digging tonight and I know that a certain someone is backstage in the locker room. She's already going through so much, I would hate to see anything else happen to her. She has the neck injury and then the back injury. Let's think about how much another injury would set her back from getting back on the road with her wrestler boyfriend, Roman." He said with a devious smirk. "Think about her safety Roman before you do anything. She's all alone and with a phone call I can change that. I think Lisa would love to pay her a visit." The Miz teased before pulling out his phone and with a large grin. Roman looked on angrily as he paced back and forth.

"Oh, is The Big Dog mad? Awww, did I hurt your feelings by threatening her? Are you upset? I suggest you channel that anger in another way or I call Lisa and tell her Draya's exact location. I promise you I would do it. I'll do whatever it takes to keep from seeing your face in this company again." Roman snapped and charged through the security men. He started throwing punches before more came out and tried to contain him. They managed to get his arms behind him while he still tried to claw his way to Miz.

"Do your damn job, you want a shot at me? That's just too damn bad. You have to get in line just like everyone else. This is MY SHOW and I make the rules. While you were gone, I climbed to the mountain top and claimed my rightful place as champion in this division. I'm seconds away from that call from the suits and getting called up to the Main Roster where I belong. NOTHING WILL STOP THAT! Not even you!" He warns as he stares down Roman. Roman struggles to break free from the security. He frees an arm and goes continues to fight off the security guards. The Miz sees this and makes a call. An image of backstage appears on the monitor and shows a woman in dark clothes heading towards the locker room.

"ROMAN, RO! Look up here baby, it's me!" The familiar voice exclaimed. Roman looked up slowly as he realized who it was. Roman watched the monitor in disbelief. He shook his head no as he broke away from the security team and headed back stage. A grim silence fell over the crowd as Roman continued to run towards the locker room. Lisa continues, "you thought that this was over? You thought that you could leave me alone and everything go back to normal? Do you forget who I am? I made you the Roman Reigns that everyone sees today! I sacrificed myself so you could reach stardom and this is what I get? You replace me with a trainer? That's an insult to my hard work to make you stronger and get rid of all those feelings that you had. I broke your heart to make you a ruthless competitor and teach you true pain. I wanted you to know that pain so you know how to inflict the same on your opponents. You took that for granted and now? Now, I can teach you a new lesson at the expense of this little weak bitch. This is the bitch that has your attention. This is the kryptonite."

Draya watched the promo and knew she would have to be prepared for what was about to transpire. She got up as quickly as she could and searched the room for a weapon. She grabbed a led pipe and turned the lights down as she hid by the door. She waited as she heard a knock on the door.

"Aww, Draya! I just wanted to talk! I'm not here to hurt you boo. You've been through enough." Lisa said as she banged on the door. Draya knew she needed to protect herself and scanned the room for a weapon as quickly as she could. She turned off the lights before hiding as she heard the banging. Lisa kicked the door open and looked shouted into the room. "DRAYA?! Come on out, I just want to talk. That's all. I didn't think you'd still be upset. I'm sorry about the condo though. I didn't do the brakes though. I don't know who that could have been," Lisa laughed maniacally as she finished the words. "Come on, stop hiding!" She said as she tried to find a switch. Draya took a chance and started swinging as she caught a glimpse of Lisa with the light filtering into the room from the hallway. As the rage built up, Draya kept swinging. The referees heard the commotion and came into the room. They turned on the lights as the crowd watched on the edge of their seats to see what was happening. Draya pinned down the psychopath as she savagely struck her. Lisa tried to shield herself from the strikes.

Roman made it to the room and saw what was happening. He looked down and saw the emotion pouring from Draya. He ran to her as the referees tried to separate the two women. "DON'T touch me! Don't touch me!" She said sternly as tears streamed her face. The pain was excruciating but the small bit of revenge was worth it. She dropped the pipe at her side before sliding back. Roman slowly approached Draya and helped her to her feet. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to get hurt. They're making me look so stupid and clueless. None of this was discussed. Miz is doing this to make our lives a living hell and I'm sick of it. This is going too far." He said as he escorted Draya to the trainer's room. Draya leaned on Roman for support as she felt very weak and the pain continued to build.

The camera panned back to Lisa. The bruising and welts showed under the light. She laid motionless as her eyes fluttered. The referees called for assistance as she began to stir. She wiped the blood off her mouth as she sat up and held her ribs. The Miz came in to check on his business associate, "YOU HAD ONE JOB!" He exclaimed as she lowered her eyes and glared at him. "You finish him. I'll take care of her, this isn't the end. It won't ever end until I have what I want!" She said coldly.

Wrestlers are entitled to have a personal life at some point, right? Why is it that the matters they want to keep separate always seems to spill over? Roman vehemently fought to keep the two things separate just to have WWE screw him over again. First, he gets injured and what was to be his grand return is ruined by even more important details being left out. Will they be able to put this behind them? Draya's safety had been at risk once more due to Lisa and Miz's underhanded tactics. What will it take to rid them of her for good?


End file.
